Wizard
by Xeora
Summary: All Yugi Mouto ever wanted was to have friends, to be loved, and to be protected. Solving an ancient puzzle grants him that wish, and gives him so much more. AU Puzzleshipping. YYxY. Possible other couples pending. R/R Ch. 9 EDITED. CH. 10 IN PROGRESS.
1. Chapter 1

Wizard

by Xeora

All Yugi Mouto ever wanted was to have friends, to be loved, and to be protected. Solving an ancient puzzle grants him that one wish, and gives him so much more. (AU)

Notes: Decided to write this because I am at a block for _**Of Guns and Sand**_, my Puppyshipping fic. Which is unusual, since I'm only four chapters in... O.o; This idea has been haunting me for awhile. Enjoy the Puzzleshipping :3

Warnings: Boy love and such. Possible violence. Hints of other couples is a maybe. (most likely JouKai or Tender.... ._. ... hn.)

–

One

_The problem with me_, Yugi Mouto thought, leaping over a bench as he cut through the park. _Is that I don't know how to face my fears._

His fears included many things. A few to be listed include things such as turtle soup, falling down the stairs, the darkest corner of his closet, sighting his grandfather's back hair, and being punched in the face. Despite how many times it happened already, being socked in the face that is, was still something Yugi cringed at. A raised fist always made him instinctively cover his large obsidian eyes, grit his teeth, and wait for the impact. On lucky occasions, there would be enough space between him and his attacker to allow escape. Thankfully, this was a _lucky occasion_. Unluckily, and this always happened eventually, he would be caught. Although, 'prolonging execution' always shone a small ray of hope. Sadly, Hirutani was pretty fast for such a large, beefy guy. Dashing away dreams of escape seemed to be this scary young man's greatest pleasure.

Hirutani was a senior at Domino High School, and Yugi a lowly little freshman. Lowly, weak and quite small. His tiny frame was often the target of many bullies. Hirutani had to have been the worst. Every day he would pay Yugi a visit to take money, shove him into a locker, lock him in the women's restroom, and basically make his first year of high school a living hell. At the end of the week to celebrate the coming weekend, Hirutani would literally drag Yugi by his spiky tri-colored hair into some unseen alley and beat the ever-loving crap out of him. This Friday would be no exception. The only thing _off_ about it is that Yugi finally pulled up the guts to run.

Yugi was immediately starting to regret it. Hirutani was relentless, and his threats were starting to make this tiny teen's stomach turn.

"I'll rip out your spine this time, Mouto!" He crowed. "And mail it to your parents!"

Yugi wouldn't put it passed him to actually do it. The scary senior had massive hands and could probably flatten a trash bin like a can of cola. However, he didn't seem intelligent enough to actually figure out postage.

With that huge gorilla only about ten feet behind him, Yugi mentally kicked himself for saying so out loud. That growl Hirutani had was vicious.

"I'll _kill_ you!"

Yugi shook his head, clenching his eyes for only a few seconds. A warm, wet tear was moistening his cheek. _What are you doing?_ His inner voice sounded exasperated. _You don't have _time_ to cry, you sissy! You need to get away!_

In the end, that is all Yugi could focus on. Escape. He took in heavy puffs of breath, coming to another street corner as he exited the park. Hirutani must have chased him for blocks, that's what it felt like in the very least. Without quite realizing it, the small teen had come upon the market streets. There were small mom-and-pop shops on either side of the wide road. He turned the next street corner, unconsciously making a decision. He grabbed the nearest shop door, swung it open, and practically threw himself inside. The small bell on the door jangled quietly as it closed behind him. Within this tiny shop he hid behind a shelf, knocking down a few of its knickknacks, each object making a dull thud. Yugi breathed heavily, clutching his heaving chest. "Please just run past... please just run past..." he murmured to himself.

His heart stopped suddenly when he heard the jingle of the door bells. Yugi gripped the front of his uniform jacket, trying to ease his breathing. The sound of footsteps was near-deafening in to his ears. More tears pricked at his large eyes, and he tried not to sniffle. He felt a presence loom over him. Yugi braced himself, instinctively covering his face. Hirutani had him now.

"Oh _great_. Someone left their kid in the store again," the voice wasn't the low gruff of the school bully. This voice was feminine, and definitely posh. Yugi blinked, moving his hands from his face to look up. The sight that greeted him would seem far too overwhelming for most teenage boys.

Standing over Yugi was probably the prettiest woman he had ever seen. 'In real life' so to speak, and not on the TV or in a magazine. This woman had long wavy blond hair, sharp blue eyes, and such curvaceous figure. On her slim body was a long red dress with no visible straps. It was simply pulled over her large breasts. The rest of the material hugged her nicely. Being within the presence of someone so lovely always made Yugi blush. Added, males were no exception to that rule either.

On her pretty face was a frown though. The downturn of her lips was certainly a sign that she wasn't pleased to see him there on the floor, surrounded by a few fallen objects. "Now don't just sit there. I know you're old enough to understand me. Where's your mom, kid?" She crossed her arms, which were covered in long velvet gloves.

"S-sorry..." Yugi said, standing quickly. He stumbled, knocking another item off the shelf. "Im sorry, I really am. I was--"

She rolled her eyes, but held up an elegant hand. "Don't worry. Just tell me where your mother is."

"Oh... I'm not here with my- I'm in high school!" Yugi said, frowning a little bit. This wasn't the appropriate time to be offended, but that still damaged what little pride he actually had. "Sorry, I didn't mean to run in here and mess up your store. I was... kind of trying to get away..."

"Get away?" The woman put a hand on her hip. "From what? Your homework?"

Yugi shook his head suddenly, wiping his face with his sleeves. "Just some bully. I was hoping to hide in here and call my grandpa or something."

The woman's frown slowly softened. She gave the small teen an unreadable look, then one of sympathy. "Sorry to hear that, hun. But my shop doesn't have a phone." Upon seeing Yugi's downcast look, she quickly added. "But you can stick around in here until you feel safe enough to go home."

Yugi immediately brightened up, giving her a wide, grateful smile. "Thanks so much miss!"

"Wipe your nose kid," She said with a slight giggle. She passed him a handkerchief. "And its Mai Kujaku. 'Miss' makes me feel old. 'Mai' is just fine."

Yugi took the cloth, wiping his face first before blowing his nose. "I'm Yugi Mouto. Its really nice to meet you, Mai."

"The pleasure's all _yours_," Mai said in her sultry voice. "Why don't you go pull up a chair near the register, hun?"

Yugi nodded, but paused to look down at the objects of the floor. "Just let me put these back for you," These items weren't like anything Yugi had encountered in any normal shop. He knelt down to pick one up. It was a bag of stones that smelled of lavender. He picked up another item that looked like a miniature cauldron. Inside looked to be green gelatin caking the sides. He looked back up at Mai, "What are these things? I've never seen stuff like this before."

"Hm," Mai waved a dismissive hand. "They're just unusual wares my grandmother brought in from her travels. This was once her shop. I took over when she passed away three years ago."

"Oh," Yugi carefully placed them back on the shelf. "So she brought things from far away places to sell?"

"Something like that," Mai said, a bored look on her face. "She was a pack rat. Took things that she deemed interesting. When she got tired of it, she put them on the shelves here."

Yugi nodded. "Um... do you mind if I look around?"

"Well, it _is_ a store, hun." Mai said with a wink, making Yugi flush. "Knock yourself out. Just don't knock anything down while you're at it."

Yugi blushed, and once more nodded. Mai left him alone then, swaggering her way behind another shelf. The small teen let out a breath he didn't know he was holding, taking a moment to gather his thoughts. He was safe from Hirutani for the time being, under the protection of this woman and her shop. For now. Even if Yugi did manage to go home without a scratch, he knew Monday would be absolute torture. Sighing, Yugi pushed back those thoughts for now, deciding to go with his current interest. This being the items littering the shelves and the walls of this intriguing shop. Clocks of all shapes and sizes were posted on the walls. There were several shaped like birds, commonly chickens. The classic "coo-coo" clock was somewhere on the far right, and even a large grandfather clock was somehow mounted towards the very top.

Yugi browsed each aisle, examining what he found to be the most interesting. He found more bags of lovely scented stones. There was something else that looked a lot like a pirate's treasure chest. It was much too heavy to move, and locked so he couldn't peak inside. He came upon a book that had the same sentence printed over and over on each page: _"This is how the story begins and ends"._

"Heh... easiest read I ever had." Yugi grinned a little to himself, placing the book back where he got it. He looked around the shelf a bit more, standing on the tip of his toes to see if he could find anything else. He peered around, blinking his large eyes. Something gold had caught his attention. He reached up, fingers barely brushing against the object. It felt cold to the touch, much like chilled steel. Sadly, it was still too far for him to grab. Yugi was once again flat on his feet, looking up at the shelf with a pout. _Just what could I use to get up there?_ He tapped his chin. _Oh! I know!_ Grinning, he stepped on the mid section of the shelf, carefully pushing himself up. He gripped the edge of the top with one hand, taking hold of the golden box with the other. "Yes!-- ack!" He lost his balance then, falling back with a loud "Oof!"

His bottom now feeling sore, Yugi whined quietly to himself, hoping he didn't make too much noise. He shook his head, looking down at his lap. There the golden box was, both hands still on either side of it. This box wasn't just a simple box. It had intricate carvings. The details on the surface of the gold were probably hand carved. Hieroglyphs littered the edges, and on the front glared the Eye of Horus.

"Awesome..." Yugi said softly, amazed he had found something this fascinating. He always had an interest in anything that was from ancient Egypt. His grandfather was an archaeologist before he retired and opened their game store. He used to bring back all sorts of things for Yugi to play with or collect, since he didn't have any friends to be with. He still had it all. From bits of stone, a piece of pottery and even jewelry. This box looked a lot like something that held royal jewelry. He shook it experimentally, like he did during the holidays when the first Christmas presents were placed under the tree. He pressed his ear to it, listening for a sound. He was greeted with the gentle jangle of possible gold. Grinning, he flipped the top open, looking inside. Blinking curiously, he reached in, lifting up a jagged golden piece. There were several in the box. Over fifty pieces, was Yugi's guess.

"A puzzle?" Yugi said to himself. He dug around in it, lifting another jagged piece. He clipped that and the first one together, smiling when he found a perfect match. "A puzzle!" He loved games dearly. Games were probably the only things that actually kept him sane. He had a knack for puzzles, and this one here looked especially tough. Goodness, did Yugi love a challenge. He hesitantly put the piece back into the box, placing the lid back on top. He scrambled to his feet, walking towards the back where the register was.

"Miss Mai!" He called, looking around. "Miss Mai!"

"No need to yell, sweety, I'm right here." That made Yugi jump near a foot in the air. He whipped around, seeing Mai to his left. "And its just 'Mai', remember? Now, what's gotten you so excited?"

Yugi didn't realize he was grinning so much until now. "Hee, sorry Mai. I just found something really neat." He presented the box to her. "There are puzzle pieces inside. I just wanted to know how much it was."

Mai blinked, looking down at the box with a bit of surprise on her face. "I remember this old thing," she said, tilting her head. "Drove my grandmother mad. Or rather, _madder_ than she already was."

"Huh?" Yugi gave her an odd look.

Mai let out a small huff, brushing her hair over her shoulder. "She got it after her millionth trip to Egypt. She said she saw the thing for sale in one of the market streets at Cairo. She bought it because the vendor told her some cock-and-bull legend about it. It apparently belonged to some powerful person. Long story short, she had it for eight years and couldn't solve it. Drove her _bonkers_. Last I remember she tossed it on some shelf in the back, and we never saw it again."

"Oh. What was the legend?" Yugi decided to ask.

Mai merely shrugged. "Hell if I know, doll. I never really paid much attention to her when she rambled to herself."

"I see," He said, chuckling nervously. "But... it's for sale right? I love a good challenge."

"Do you?" Mai curled her lips, looking amused. She walked closer, placing her hand on the top of the box. "Its made of real gold you know. My grandmother had it marked for at least 200,000 yen."

"200,000?!" Yugi's eyes widened, sputtering slightly. He looked downcast once again. "But I don't have that kind of money..."

"Aww. That's too bad," Mai said with a sigh, a pout on her full lips. She watched Yugi for a moment. The small teen ran his fingers over the box, longing in his big eyes. Her own expression softened again. "You know, I think I'm a sucker for that face of yours."

Yugi looked up, resembling that of a curious child.

"Mmhm. I am." Mai brushed her hair back again. "I'll make you a deal."

"A deal..?"

"Yes. A deal." She tapped the top of the box. "If you can solve this puzzle before closing time tonight I'll let you have it. Free of charge."

"Really?" Yugi's face lit up. It was as if his birthday had come early.

"Yes, hun, _really_." Mai said with that sultry wink of hers. "I'll even gift wrap it for you, if you want."

Yugi nearly leaped for joy, but did his best to contain himself. "What time do you close?"

"Six PM." Mai said. Looking over at the many clock, they all read 5:30. Yugi's expression fell again, and he seemed panicked. She giggled, then said, "Six PM on weekdays. Friday, Saturday and Sunday we're open until nine. You have a little less than four hours to do it. You think that's enough time?"

Yugi nodded enthusiastically. "More than enough! I'll get started right now!" He was about to plop on the floor and do just that. Mai, however, would have none of that. She led him to the back where the register was, letting him sit on a stool at the counter. Yugi eagerly opened the box, taking out the first two pieces he managed to fit together. Determined, he began to study the pieces, and started to try and fit them together. For the most part, Yugi had confidence that he could solve any puzzle. After all, that's all he ever did at home. The longest time he had spent on piecing together things such as this was an hour, tops.

Although, Yugi hadn't encountered a puzzle as complex as this. Each piece connected with another. Many of them were three dimensional, and had a "core" so to speak. A center piece that that connected to several completed pieces in order to create a whole. Several times Yugi got stuck, and had to disassemble to start all over again. The clock continued to tick. When the teen glanced up to see the time, it seemed that three and a half hours really wasn't enough time. Every fifteen minutes or so, Mai would come by to see his progress. With each time she passed, he seemed to be getting more and more frustrated.

"Want some water, hun?" She offered around 6:45PM.

"No, I'm okay." Yugi said, licking his dried lips. He was thirsty, but he didn't have time to drink. He had too much to do still. "Thank you."

Even then, Mai still placed a bottle of cool water next to him, and even a few crackers for a snack. Yugi found himself unconsciously taking a bite or two, and drinking from that bottle.

Around 7:30PM, Yugi had nearly given up hope. He stopped for about five minutes to rub his tiring eyes, wondering if his grandpa was worried. He most likely was. School ended at three, and he hadn't been home for almost five hours. He still got stuck on that same place. It was half finished, the base a pentahedron, seeming to go up to a point. Yugi imagined it was probably a pyramid shape. However, he wouldn't truly know until he completed it. As the minutes ticked by, Yugi was quite sure that he wouldn't ever see it finished.

Mai returned to see his progress, and to take the napkin littered with cracker crumbs. She folded it over, then tossed it into a nearby rubbish can. She looked at the half finished puzzle, leaning over the counter. "Half done. To be honest, my grandmother couldn't even get this far. She'd connect a few pieces and then give in after they couldn't fit anymore."

"I can see why she would be frustrated," Yugi said, rubbing the back of his neck. "This is very hard... I don't think I can do it."

"Oh?" Mai brushed some of her hair behind her ear. "You seemed confident earlier."

"Well, that was until I saw how really complex it is." Yugi said, pointing to the puzzle. He moved the completed bit over, showing Mai. "Its like a mechanism. Some of these pieces look as if they fit, but they don't click like they're supposed to. If that makes any sense... its like I have to twist it to make it..." his eyes widened. He took hold of a piece within the completed structure, attempting to turn it. It twisted, just like a rubix cube. "Then I can put this.." he grabbed another piece from the box, easily sliding it in. "That's it!"

With a little bit of interest, Mai watched as Yugi twisted and turned what he completed, sliding in the remaining pieces. It was 8:45PM before Yugi held the final piece, which bore the gleaming Eye of Horus.

"The last piece... the last one," Yugi looked so exhausted, but so happy. "When I put this in, it's all done." He was about to do just that, but Mai took hold his wrist to keep him from placing it in.

"Hold on a sec, hun." Mai said, a pout on her face. "Before you put that in, let me tell you a little something that I managed to catch my grandma ranting about."

Yugi glanced at the clock, then nodded to Mai. "What was it?"

"She said the man that sold it to her told her that this puzzle, if completed, has the power to grant one wish." Mai said, letting Yugi's wrist go. "Don't want to waste a good wish, right? So just think for a minute before you place that in there. Don't worry ,you have time."

The clock read 8:55PM.

Yugi tilted his head, looking down at the Eye of Horus. It gleamed at him in such a mystical way, it almost convinced him that it really was magical. Making a wish after completing something so difficult didn't seem so bad. In fact, it seemed like the perfect thing to do. "One wish..." he murmured. He closed his eyes. Just what did he want? Money, fame, superpowers? The first two, maybe not to so much. Superpowers, maybe so. He cracked a small smile.

He knew what he wanted.

"I wish I wasn't so alone." Yugi said softly, gripping the last piece tightly. "I want to.. be protected... I wish I was loved." He opened his eyes slowly, gently pressing the last piece in. He had done it then. The puzzle was completed. Sitting before him was a golden pyramid. The Eye of Horus bore holes into his own eyes, as if it could see into his very soul. The moment Yugi touched it, he felt warmth radiate from the once cold pieces. For a brief moment, Yugi felt as if this object were actually alive. It beat in his hands, like a heart. So transfixed by it, he didn't notice Mai trying to get his attention, until she shook his shoulder.

"H-huh?" Yugi looked at her. The beating in his hands ceased.

"You zoned out for a minute. " Mai said with a soft laugh. "You must be so tired after all that. I'm closing up, so... I'll give you a ride home, all right? No one should be walking around this late at night."

"You're too kind, but my home is only a block away." Yugi said, stretching. He placed the completed puzzle into its box, but was unable to close it due to its girth. Mai passed him a plastic bag, which he took after a moment of hesitation.

"You and I made a deal," Mai said. "This puzzle is yours. You can take it home in that, since carrying an open box would just seem silly."

Yugi smiled at her. "Thank you..." He put away his puzzle in there, carrying the bag at his side.

"Are you sure you don't want a ride?" Mai offered again. "Even though I barely know you, I'll worry."

Yugi shook his head. "I'll be fine. Thanks for your concern, though. You've already done so much for me."

"Well, all right then." Mai adjusted the top of her dress, placing a hand on her hip. "I'll be seeing you around then, hun." She leaned over, kissing Yugi's cheek.

He rubbed it, blushing from slight embarrassment. Mai only laughed.

"Get a move on, cutie. There are some pretty nasty people out this late," She turned to walk away, heading for the back room of the store. She paused at the door, "... and I really hope you get your wish."

Yugi stared after her, his face still red. "... thanks..." But he wasn't sure Mai had heard him. She already left for the back room. With his item in hand, Yugi walked out the front door of the shop. He assumed Hirutani had given up on him for tonight. That made walking down the street a little easier, and thankfully without the weight of too much worry.

Contained in the bag at Yugi's side, the completed puzzle sat. Unnoticed, the Eye of Horus flashed a brief white-gold, and once again began to beat like a human heart.

–

:/

Very much unsatisfied with it. But its long, so love me? XD' Reviews please.

Next Chapter Soon~

Xeora


	2. Chapter 2

Wizard

by Xeora

Notes: I never realized that I could pull such positive feedback from this. XD Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing. Lets make this a nice, long chapter. I wrote eight pages last time, our goal today is ten. x.x

Warnings: Boy love. The usual blah-blah. Also, Yami. He's just so hot, I had to warn you about him. :c

–

Two

It was definitely passed curfew when Yugi stood before the entrance to Kame Games. He had to dig around in his pocket for his keys, opening the front doors as quietly as he could. With each creaking noise the un-oiled hinges made, the more he thought he could be waking his guardian. Swallowing, Yugi pulled the keys out from the door knob, placing them back in his pocket. He adjusted the plastic bag he was carrying so it was within the nook of his elbow. Slowly, he tiptoed into the shop, letting the door close quietly behind him. Large eyes met with darkness, Yugi let out a slow sigh of relief. This meant his grandpa was probably already asleep. All Yugi had to do now was make his way silently upstairs, and explain everything in the morning.

Or rather, that would have been the plan. Midway across the tiled flooring, Yugi was suddenly met with light. He froze like a dear caught in headlights, mouth slightly gaped. Standing before him was the even tinier form of his grandfather. He had his cloud decorated pajamas on. On his feet were a pair of fluffy house slippers. One of them tapped the ground in a manner that seemed impatient. On his aged face sat a frown, and there was a crease on his wizened brow.

Least to say, Sugoroku Mouto was not a happy man at the moment.

"Do you have any idea what time it is?" This statement was a common way to convey that Yugi was 'knee deep in horse dung'. He had to think of a perfectly good explanation for as to why he was late. Telling his grandfather about Hirutani chasing him from school to the market streets wasn't a good excuse. Granted, it actually was a very good reason, and it was also the truth. Telling grandpa the truth was something he dearly needed to avoid. The last thing he wanted was a repeat of his grandfather speaking with the mother of a bully. That usually lead to broken jaws, bruises and moving homes. Least to say, Yugi was growing tired of relocating.

Yugi's shoulders relaxed, and he passed his grandpa a nervous little grin. "Um..." That probably wasn't the most intelligent way to start off explaining himself, but it was a start nonetheless. All he had to do now was let the lie flow past his lips. "I was at the arcade, and lost track of the time..." Now there was a somewhat convincing excuse of teenage carelessness. Surely, Sugoroku had to believe it.

"By yourself?" The elderly man pressed, lips pursed in a thin line.

He started to nod, then quickly shake his head. "Oh, no. No of course not. I was uh... with some friends." That statement made Yugi inwardly flinch. It wasn't as if the idea of being with friends was repulsive. It was the fact that he didn't have any.

Surogoku stared at his grandson in what seemed to be disbelief, mixed with a little shock. He laughed then, reaching a hand out to clasp Yugi's shoulders. "Well that's a relief! And here I was thinking you got yourself into another scuffle."

A nervous laugh escaped Yugi's throat, followed by a slight squeak. "Eheheh... no. No scuffles. Not today."

"That's wonderful!" Sugoroku beamed. He pulled his grandson into a half hug, shaking his shoulders. "I was worried... so worried." From the way he sounded, it wasn't just because Yugi was out late passed his curfew. The elderly man pat Yugi's back, slowly stepping away from him. "But you should at least call me before you decide to stay out late. You're going to give me a heart attack. I'm much too old for this kind of stress."

"Sorry, grandpa." Yugi said, rubbing the back of his neck. His bag hit his side when he lifted his arm, nearly making him jump. He almost forgot he had it hanging over his elbow.

"Now what's that you got there?" Sugoroku pointed to the plastic bag. "Did you win a prize at the arcade?"

"Oh, no. I didn't go-" Yugi said, then suddenly remembered he was supposed to be lying. His grandfather was looking at him with a raised brow. "I mean, I didn't win it there. I got this on my way home. Er... at this shop on market street. This really nice woman let me have it for free..." he reached into the bag, slowly extracting his completed puzzle.

"A woman, eh?" His grandfather chortled, then had a look at the golden pyramid in the palms of Yugi's hands. "Oh... oh! Well, this is interesting." Sugoroku leaned forward, squinting his aged eyes.

"It's a puzzle," Yugi went on, sounding quite pleased. This was something he didn't have to lie about. "It was in pieces earlier, in this golden box." He motioned to the plastic bag still hanging over his arm. Inside it sat the box. "The woman, her name is Mai Kujaku, said I can have it for free if I solved it in her store. So I did."

"Ohohohoho. Mai Kujaku?" Sugoroku grinned.

"You know her?" Yugi asked, tilting his head.

"Who wouldn't?" Sugoroku said, a blush on his cheeks and the strangest smile on his lips. "She's possibly the most beautiful thing on market street. I used to swing by her store just to see her walk around in those mini dresses she's so very fond of."

Yugi gave his grandfather a flat look. "Grandpa... she has to be almost thirty years younger than you."

"A man can dream." Sugoroku said dismissively. He coughed once, "Now, your puzzle." He examined it a little more. "Ah, you know, this looks like something I and a few of my colleagues spoke of a long time ago."

"Miss Kujaku told me that her grandmother got it from Egypt." Yugi said suddenly, looking quite eager. "And that it had a legend behind it, or something. She said she didn't know exactly what the story was though."

Sugoroku nodded to himself, closing his eyes. "Then it's almost impossible that I might be mistaken. This looks like the Millennium Puzzle."

"Millennium Puzzle?" Yugi repeated, now very much interested. "What's that, grandpa?"

"An item that has been lost for centuries," The elderly man said. "It was an artifact said to possess an incredible power. It is believed that it was held by a being so inhumanly powerful, he could obliterate planets. For the sake of existence, the puzzle was shattered into its many pieces and hidden away."

Large obsidian eyes looked down at the pyramid, which glimmered in the florescent light of the shop. Yugi lifted it to eye level, quite fascinated.

"It was said, even if found, the puzzle was impossible to solve," Sugoroku went on. "It was just that complex."

"It was pretty complex," Yugi said softly, mostly to himself. "It took me hours..."

"Hm," Sugoroku passed his grandson a brief suspicious look. Yugi didn't notice it. "The story goes on to say that the person destined to solve it would be the only one that ever could. When that day came, the new holder would be given all of its power, and would be granted their heart's greatest desire."

"... one wish..." Yugi looked down at the Eye of Horus, eyes half-lid. If he wasn't so tired, he could have sworn that the Eye was glowing, if only for a moment.

"Or so they say, yes." The old man said, clearing his throat. Yugi's head snapped up. "You're falling asleep on your feet, aren't you?"

"Oh, no... well, okay, maybe a little bit." Yugi admitted. "I had a real long day, grandpa. But I do wanna hear more about this tomorrow."

"Of course," Sugoroku smiled. "Run along upstairs and get to bed. I'll lock the front."

Yugi nodded, stepping forward to do just that. He passed his grandfather only by a few feet, only to hear,

"This doesn't mean you're not in trouble, young man." The elderly man said. Yugi slumped a little bit, listening as Sugoroku messed with some keys to lock up the front door of the shop. "No going anywhere this weekend. You're to do chores all Saturday. Then shop work on Sunday."

Yugi suppressed a groan. "... yes, sir."

"Good. Now go change. I need you to wash your uniforms first thing in the morning." Sighing, Yugi nodded, then finally made his way upstairs.

Kame Game Shop was split into four levels. The first level was beneath the building itself, that being the basement. It was stocked with things to be sold in the shop. Games of all kinds, as well as toys and collectible figures. The second was the main floor, that being the shop itself. The third floor was the "house", so to speak. Yugi and Surogoku resided there when the shop was closed during the evenings and holidays. Two bedrooms down one hall, a living area, then the kitchen and eating area. The fourth level wasn't quite important. It was only the dusty attic.

Yugi took off his shoes at the entrance, placing them onto the shoe rack. He padded his way down the hallway, yawning loudly. He entered his room, flipping on the light switch. He walked over to his desk first, placing the plastic bag there before shrugging off his jacket. He placed it over his desk chair, then unbuttoned his uniform shirt. Tossing that aside, he decided he would change a little later. Sitting in nothing but his socks, blue slacks and leather top he wore beneath his uniform, Yugi extracted the box from the bag. He placed the box near his lamp, the lid slid back into its appropriate place. In his hands, he had his puzzle. The Millennium Puzzle.

"Hmm.." He turned the item in his hands, the gold still looking as clean and bright as ever. He slid his fingers over the smoothed mineral, finding the object to be warm. "Odd..." Yugi looked closer at it, swinging his legs a little as he sat. He turned it over, taking note of something he hadn't quite noticed before. A round loop protruded at the bottom of the base. He touched it, hooking his finger at the hole. An idea coming to mind, he reached to his right, pulling open a drawer. He took out a long bit of thick string, which he tied to the loop. By the string, Yugi carefully held it up. Grinning, he placed it around his neck, allowing the puzzle to hang there.

Most would find that something so large would be heavy and uncomfortable to wear. To Yugi, it fit just right. It was as if it was meant to be there, feeling warm against his chest, and pulsing with a gentle beat. As Yugi was relaxing, he realized that it beat in sync with his own heart. He also realized that inanimate objects were not supposed to have a pulse at all. Eyes going wider than they already were, Yugi looked down at the object, taking hold of it with both hands. Against his palms it continued to beat, though much louder than before. The Eye of Horus was glowing.

"What in the name of--" Yugi was unable to finish. There was a sudden flash of blinding white light, causing the small teen to yelp and fall from his chair. The surrounding brightness made Yugi's exposed skin tingle with warmth, and sent an almost unpleasant shiver down his spine. It felt like a long while before the light faded. It seemed even longer before Yugi worked up the courage to open his eyes. At first he was met with total darkness, and for a moment he thought he had gone blind. A panicked whine erupted from his throat. He was afraid to stand.

"Are you all right?" there was a voice Yugi didn't recognize. It was deep, and much more baritone than his grandfather's.

"Gr-grandpa...?" The boy decided to try anyway. Maybe that odd light had affected his hearing as well.

A chuckle was the response.

A warm hand grasped Yugi's wrist, and he was gently pulled to his feet. The moment he was standing, he took his hand back immediately, hugging himself. He blinked, his vision slowly coming into focus. The darkness, however, seemed to be disappearing in clumps rather than fading out. For a moment, Yugi thought he was probably standing in front of the mirror. He saw a silhouette that looked exactly like himself. Except taller by several inches. Had Yugi finally hit a "growth spurt" that those boys in grade school were talking about?

Sight finally focused, Yugi was now convinced that he hadn't gone blind after all. However, he was concerned over his reflection. Since when did his eyes get so sharp? Were they always red? He didn't remember adding extra blond streaks to his hair, or dying his violet ends crimson. He was sure he didn't have a headpiece with the Eye of Horus either. In fact, he was quite sure he wasn't dressed in what appeared to be a layered robe. The Millennium Puzzle around his neck was probably the only thing that made sense.

"You stare so intensely," His reflection said. "Do I have something on my face?"

"GAH!" Yugi jumped, falling once again on his backside. He scrambled away, stopping once he hit his shoulders against his desk. "Ow..." Wincing, he lifted a hand to rub his sore spot. His eyes were clenched tight. "I have to be seeing things." He said to himself. _I probably fell asleep. I'm dreaming... I'll count to three, look, and I'll be awake._ Once it was decided that would be his course of action, he acted upon it. Yugi counted to three under his breath, slowly looking up. Eyes now open, he didn't see the figure of "himself". Strangely, that sent a wave of relief over his body.

Sadly, it was short lived.

"You seem to have knack for falling over," that voice. Yugi snapped his head up, looking to his left. There his look-a-like was, looming over him. There was an amused smirk on his face. Of course, the small teen could only stare right back. His mouth was open, making him look like a gaping gold fish.

The stranger laughed softly, reaching out a hand. There were many rings adorning his fingers, a few with stones, simple silver and gold bands, or symbols. That hand gently pushed Yugi's chin up, closing the boy's open mouth.

The tiny teen couldn't help but blush.

"Here," the man said, taking Yugi's thin wrist. "Let me help you up. Just promise me you won't fall again."

Feeling numb in the neck, Yugi didn't know how he even managed to nod. He allowed this man to help him stand, knees feeling shaky. However, he did make a promise. He wouldn't fall over again. Swallowing, Yugi tried to mentally form something to say, but nothing really came to mind. What spilled from his mouth was the question most people would probably ask first.

"_Who are you?_"

–

Omg. Im stopping it here. :c

Okay, Im like... five pages off my goal. But this is still nice and meaty with details, right?

I'll edit it later.

Xeora


	3. Chapter 3

Wizard

by Xeora

Notes: You can imagine the panic I went through editing chapter two. Not only did I have a boatload of embarrassing typos, my dyslexia finally got the better of me and I spelled Yugi's grandfather's name wrong on several occasions.

Fuckdamnit and all that good jazz. :c

I would like to thank you all for all your positive feed back and helpful critique (some were sent in notes. I like that. :D )I hope to reach my goal of ten pages this chapter. Least to say, I won't have any less than five.

Wish me luck. o3o

Warnings: Boy love! OMG. More Yami. Uhh... and magic! Yes. Magic. This fic isn't called _**Wizard**_ for nothing. D:

–

Three

This was probably the first time in his entire life that Yugi felt like he was being completely rude. Not only had he fallen over himself several times and stared like he was a spectator at the zoo, he had also openly _demanded_ identification of the stranger in his bedroom. Surely that had to be the worst impression on his behalf. The teen then wondered, for only a brief moment, why he cared about his own behavior before a man who was obviously intruding his home. _Any normal person_, his inner voice reasoned, _would react in the same way._

Unfortunately, Yugi wasn't placed under the 'normal person' category.

The stranger didn't seem perturbed by his behavior at all. He actually looked quite amused with his lips curled in a half smile, red eyes glinting with a humored sparkle. "You're a funny one," he said, crossing his arms over his stomach.

"W-who's funny?" Yugi countered weakly, still feeling miffed. Not only was this person intruding, he was teasinghim too! "Just what do you mean by that?"

"I just didn't expect you to be so skittish." The stranger said, looking Yugi over. He walked closer, circling the boy once. Now the poor boy felt strangely self conscious, watching the man warily. "Or so small..." he paused, leaning close to Yugi's face.

Yugi stepped back, swallowing hard. Those demonic colored eyes were so very eerie, and they sent unpleasant shivers down Yugi's spine. There was a frown on the stranger's face, those eyes narrowing as they examined the teen very closely.

"I didn't expect you to be so innocent, either." The man said, finally standing straight. He smiled then, mostly to himself. "Than again, I shouldn't have _expected_ anything. But look, here you are."

Glad for the return of personal space, Yugi took a normal stance. He licked his drying lips, still unsure what to make of this situation. Just who was this man to expect anything from Yugi? He spoke in a way that made it seem like he had planned to see the boy. Certainly, they couldn't have met before. Yugi would remember someone like him. They looked almost exactly alike. The distinct differences, such as height and hair color, were probably the only thing keeping them from being mistaken for twins. Shaking his head, Yugi racked his brain for something to say.

"You still haven't told me who you are." he said softly, but still loud enough to comprehend.

"Hm?" The stranger blinked, as if he hadn't heard the question the first time. "You mean you don't know?"

Yugi shook his head, stepping back once again. He didn't want to be too close to someone who seemed to appear out of nowhere. This man could have been some kind of burglar. There had been instances where people have broken into the shop downstairs, but never any of the bedrooms. Was he here to take any valuables? Or maybe he was a kidnapper? Worse over, a possible serial killer. Yugi did his best not to whimper. He was starting to scare himself, and that was never good in any situation. "No... I-I don't know."

"I was hoping you would..." the man trailed off. An expression of slight disappointment flit across his features, but it was quickly masked with a different look. One of curiosity. He didn't give off an air of animosity. His demeanor wasn't threatening either. He didn't make any moves to step closer to Yugi, possibly considering the boy's need for space. "You solved my puzzle, didn't you?" The stranger continued. "I would assume my destined host would at least know of my history."

"Solved your puzzle?" Confused for moment, Yugi opened his mouth to voice another question. Then realization dawned over him. "You mean the Millennium Puzzle, don't you?" He placed his hands on the object still hanging around his neck. Warmth was still radiating comfortingly against his skin. "And what do you mean by 'destined host'?"

The man then sighed, his stature seeming to deflate. "This will take quite a bit of explaining, won't it? I'm sure you have time to hear it all, correct?"

"I...I guess..." Yugi said, biting his bottom lip.

"Make yourself comfortable," He continued, waving his ring covered hands gracefully. "And I will tell you as much as I can."

Yugi wasn't quite sure of where this was leading, but in the end he didn't really have much of a choice. He backed away, unsure if turning around was the appropriate thing to do. He had seen enough horror films to know that turning around meant trouble. He backed up until the back of his knees hit the edge of his bed. He sat down carefully, large fearful eyes still warily watching the man in the layered robe.

"Now where shall I begin...?" His look-a-like said, rubbing his chin with his ring decorated hand. Yugi wasn't so far from him to not notice the details. The odd symbols on the rings resembled ones he had seen before, such as pentacles, or five pointed stars. "Ah. I guess introducing myself would be the proper thing to do first. It would be _rude_ of me if I didn't."

Blinking, Yugi nodded slowly. Was there sarcasm in that sentence?

"I," He began, not giving Yugi much time to think on it. "Am darkness. An embodiment of shadows, or whisper of a former being that was once human. I am neither dead nor living, but an _eternal force_ left behind of whom I had once called '_myself_'."

There was pregnant pause then. From this man's introduction, of sorts, there was still no name being given. In fact, everything he said didn't make any sense to Yugi. The only conclusion, after given such a time to think, was that this stranger was most likely just messing around with him. For some reason or other, Yugi couldn't even convince himself that would be true. Looking into those red eyes, he didn't see anything deceitful. Opening his mouth once or twice, Yugi finally said,

"You don't know who you are, do you?"

"Ah..." the man chuckled. "Very good. You're sharp."

"I actually guessed," Yugi admitted, scratching his cheek.

"And you're honest." He tutted then. "No wonder you're so innocent."

"Huh...? I don't tell the truth all the time, if that's what you're saying." The smaller male puffed his cheeks out. This guy was teasing him again! Just wonderful. "I lie too. Sometimes."

"Admitting that to me is another sign of your inability to keep tell a lie and keep it." He countered, smirking a little bit. Yugi opened his mouth to say something else, but no witty retorts ever came to mind. "But I am not here to find out whether or not you are truthful. I knew the moment you found my puzzle that you are an untainted heart. More so, you solved it. Therefor, you are also the one destined to keep it.

"I do not know much of myself to really tell you anything about me or where I come from. What I do remember I know I must convey to you." He touched the Millennium Puzzle that was hanging by his own chest, and looked at the one still around Yugi's neck. Both were exact replicas. "The item you have was created for this purpose: to hold a power great and terrible, and to keep the knowledge of a wizened wizard alive for his next apprentice."

It took a moment for that information to sink in. Yugi had a million questions swimming around in his head. The one he desperately wished to ask was voiced first, "A wizened wizard?"

With a light bow of his head, the young man gave a bit of a proud smile. "In short, little one, I am the knowledge and power. I am, or _was_, a wizard."

There are hundreds of other things that could have been spat from his mouth. _I am a fireman; I am a detective; I really am a burglar; I am a prison escapee_. Yugi would've had an easier time believing him. But a _wizard_? From the way he spoke, Yugi would be more convinced that this guy was simply crazy. Yet, he couldn't bring himself to believe that this mysterious man was anything else. The explanation made perfect sense, if none at all. The small teen wasn't sure of as to why he trusted those words, or maybe he was just curious to hear more?

It was then Yugi remembered the parts of a story his grandfather told him before he went upstairs.

"_An item that has been lost for centuries," The elderly man said. "It was an artifact said to possess an incredible power. It is believed that it was held by a being so inhumanly powerful, he could obliterate planets. For the sake of existence, the puzzle was shattered into its many pieces and hidden away." _

The words '_held by a being so inhumanly powerful_' forced more gears to turn in Yugi's mind. "So you're a wizard. A real one. You can do magic, and stuff?"

"_Was_ a wizard. I can't actually be anything if am technically nonexistent." The 'wizard' said. "It's a complexity that I will have to explain to you another time. Just know that I had inhabited that puzzle," he pointed to the one around Yugi's neck. "For a long, long time. My purpose is to pass on my power and wisdom to the one destined to host me."

"So you're a ghost, then." Yugi said, "A former... you're a spirit of your former self."

The man laughed. It was a very pleasant sound, a sound that lightened Yugi's mood. It made him feel a little more comfortable.

"You are very intelligent," He said. "But it's not that simple. That story will have to be for another time. As for this... this task will be simple for me, then. You'll be easy to teach, my apprentice." Yugi was just about to ask about being called something as such, but the man held up a hand to silence him. "Allow me to finish first. You may ask your questions afterward.

"It is easy to say that you are destined to hold my Millennium Puzzle. Only the one able to solve it is meant to keep it. I have already conveyed to you its purpose, and my own. As my host you are also my student. I will teach you everything I know about magic."

Magic. This man, no, this wizard. This_ spirit of a wizard_ wanted to teach Yugi magic. Real magic. His heart felt as if it were skipping beats. Excitement was welling in his chest, but that was slowly starting to ebb away. "Hold on a sec... you're going to teach me magic. But you haven't shown me any. Other than appearing out of thin air, pretty much, there's no real proof."

"Understandable of you to ask for it," the spirit smiled. "Allow me to take a moment to think of what to show you..." He took a seat. Now, with that being said one would imagine that he simply pulled up a chair. Not quite. Legs crossed, this man easily sat in midair, tapping his chin in a thoughtful manner. To Yugi, that was probably proof enough. However, he had seen people do that on TV. It was an illusion. There had to be something more to it... right?

"Hmm..." The spirit snapped his fingers. "Ah, how about this?" He rubbed his hand together, then opened his palms. He blew on them softly. Sparkling dust wisped from his hands, glittering as they danced in a slow circle. The air brushed over Yugi like a gentle breeze, and continued to move around him. Blinking, Yugi wasn't sure if this were actual magic. Had he left a window open? Then the sparkles seemed to take a sort of human-eske shape. Tiny shapes, which twirled gracefully.

"What...?" Yugi gasped slightly, a little mesmerized by these sparkling creatures movements. He held up a hand. One of the landed on his palm. It bowed deeply. Behind it, more sparkles fluttered into the shape of dragonfly wings. "What are these...?"

"Fairies," was the simple answer from the spirit. "They are one of the smallest forms of magic. I summoned them here as your proof."

"But... but how?" Yugi watched as the tiny fairy continued to dance fluidly over his palm. Its body was nothing but glimmers of glitter, no real solidity at all. Yet Yugi could feel it there, gliding almost ticklishly over his palm.

"Magic, little one. I can teach you to call on creatures such as these to come to your aide." The man raised his hand, moving his fingers in a come-hither motion. The fairies bowed low to Yugi, before floating back to the palm that summoned them. Closing his hand, the sparkling dust seemed to poof away.

"And you'll teach me to do stuff like that? Summon fairies? And float?" Yugi was eager now, and growing very much excited.

"Float?" The spirit rose a fine brow, then looked down at himself. It was as if he just realized he was sitting on air. "Oh. Yes, of course." He chuckled. "I can teach you more than simple things such as this. Such as actual spells, mild to difficult. And yes, to summon creatures."

Yugi stood up suddenly, unable to contain himself. He had more things to ask. So many things he wanted to know. A good majority of it was coming out all at once. "What kind of spells? Do I get to mix potions too, like in Harry Potter? Oh, can I learn to curse things? Are there curses? There has to be curses, right? If there are fairies, are there _dragons_--?"

"Hold on a moment, slow down..." The spirit held up both hands, ceasing Yugi's questions. The boy was practically bouncing on his feet like a child about to receive a present. "I realize there is a lot you wish to know. There are many things I promise to teach you, which includes spells and curses... however, I'm not sure why you'd be so eager to learn a curse."

"Oh..." Yugi stopped his bouncing for a moment, hands back at his sides. "... um... there's just this guy... or a lot of guys, really." He sat back down on his bed, letting out a heavy sigh. He was starting to remember what had happened earlier this day. Or rather, that day. Glancing at the clock, it read that it was already passed midnight.

"Hm?" the spirit tilted his head, revealing part of his neck. There were golden bands wrapped around it that Yugi hadn't noticed before.

"Believe it or not, I get beat up a lot." Yugi said lightly, like that didn't bother him much. He smiled weakly. "I get picked on because I'm small. I'm fourteen, but I'm still tiny..."

"I see," the spirit gave him a soft look, but a frown was now set on his face. "Allow me to teach you one of the first principles of magic."

Yugi looked up at him. "First principles?"

"Yes. The rules, or code of conduct." He said. "_Number three: Magic must _never_ be used for revenge._"

"Oh," Yugi blushed, now feeling embarrassed. He rubbed his arm. "It's not so much that I want vengeance for what they do to me almost every day of my life. I just want to be able to defend myself from them. Running doesn't seem to do me much good. There's only one time I can ever recall escaping... and that was the day I found your puzzle."

A small silence settled between them. Yugi looked downcast at the floor, feeling silly for even mentioning such a thing. Now the spirit probably had changed his mind about seeing him as 'innocent'. What innocent wanted to curse another human being? Albeit these humans were rotten, but as grandpa had taught him, 'two wrongs never made a right'.

Yugi jumped when he felt something warm touched his cheek. That warmth guided his head up. Obsidian met the sharp crimson eyes of the spirit. Their faces were so close, Yugi couldn't help but notice how handsome his look-a-like was. Or rather, he could see another major difference between them. It was hard to explain such an exotic masculine beauty. The small teen's face could only turn redder.

"You need not to worry about that," The spirit said softly. "Now that I am here, I will protect you."

"You... you will..?" Yugi murmured.

"I will. I cannot allow any harm to befall my protégé."

Those words were possibly the most comforting Yugi had heard in his entire life. It made his skin tingle pleasantly, and he felt a bit of a goofy smile creep to his lips, which was met with a soft laugh. "Um..." Yugi began, as the wizard stepped back. "I still don't know what to call you. I know you don't have a name."

"I did once," he said, with a half shrug of his shoulder. "Honestly, I just don't remember what it was. It's been so long that I have forgotten..."

"Can I give you a name?" Yugi asked, tilting his head. "I just can't keep referring to you as... well, that 'guy' or.. 'spirit'."

"I suppose you can, if it will be easier for you." The spirit said. "But what did you have in mind?"

Yugi put his chin in his hand, looking thoughtful. "Well, nothing silly like Mr. Tinkles or Froofroo." He giggled a little bit at the look on the spirit's face. "You're not a dog or some other kind of pet... you're not a pet period. Not that I'm saying you're an animal or anything." He shook his head, trying not to embarrass himself again. "Um... you said you were darkness. 'Yami' means darkness. So... is that okay? I can call you 'Yami'?"

The wizard closed his eyes for a moment, then nodded. "Fitting. It will be something that I can get used to. 'Yami' is just fine."

"Then that's your new name," Yugi beamed, happy now that he could call him something specific. "And I'm Yugi. Yugi Mouto. It's nice to meet you."

"And it is a pleasure to meet you as well." Yami bowed his head slightly. "And now, I believe, you must sleep."

"Sleep?" Yugi glanced at the clock. It was almost one in the morning. "Oh. But I'm not tired. There's so much I want to ask you still."

"We have plenty of time to learn, little Yugi." Yami said, pushing on Yugi's shoulder to lay him down on the mattress. Once again, the boy blushed, but allowed himself to be pushed nonetheless. Yami waved his hand, and the blankets were now over the young male. "For now, you must rest. What you have been already told is already overwhelming enough."

"I guess... but I won't be able to sleep." Yugi tried to reason. "Can't you teach me now?"

"At the appropriate hour, I will." Yami said. "For now," he rubbed his hands together, just like had when he summoned those fairies. Yugi watched, eager to see more magic. Once again, the wizard blew on his palms, but the flecks of sparkling dust fell over Yugi's eyes.

Blinking, Yugi felt the soft tickles of dust over his face, and enter his eyes. Unlike actually getting glitter into your irises, there was no annoying tinge. Instead, his lids felt very heavy. Exhaustion washed over him. Before he could even utter a word in awe, he fell into the most comfortable sleep of his young life.

–

Okay. Seven pages. I TRIED. I REALLY DID. :c

MUST. REACH GOAL.

*twitches*

Reviews are more than welcome. Thanks for reading. :3

Xeora


	4. Chapter 4

Wizard

by Xeora

Notes: Once again, I would like to thank all of you for your kind reviews. Its a great motivator for me. ;D I'm editing as I go along. I will be on the look out for a beta reader. And maybe not. Heheheheh... I'm much too shy to have someone read my works in their rawest forms. Let me tell you, it's not a pretty sight. :c

_**Also:**_ **There has been expressed concern between their age differences. Yami being thousands of years old, and Yugi being 14. Yami, despite his title of "ancient", doesn't look any older than 16. So in an odd sense, it's like backwards/twisted lolli. O_o No worries though. Its still all good. This _isn't_ heavy yaoi or anything.**

… **or is it? D:**

Warnings: 60-80% Shonen ai. WITH AGE DIFFERENCE! 0: The rest is filled in with magic and love. Also, this fic contains copious amounts of Yami. His hotness is overwhelming. Women with heart conditions are advised to consult a physician before reading.

–

Four

Bang. Bang. Bang.

Such a horrid sound to wrench one from pleasant dreaming. Even more so, since it was accompanied by a scratchy, muffled voice. A common response to that would be to roll over and ignore it. But the sound would only get incessantly louder. Yugi let out a whine, not wanting to open his eyes. He felt so comfortable and warm.

"Yugi wake up!" that voice was familiar, and elderly. It was none other than Sugoroku, pounding on his door. "Come on now, I won't be having you sleeping in and getting lazy. You have chores to do!"

"Mmph..." The boy let out a long sigh, slowly letting his eyes open. He was facing his alarm clock, the digital numbers reading 7:14 AM. Just who in the world would be awake at this hour? Especially since it was a Saturday morning? Then he remembered he was being punished. Yugi rolled onto his back, letting out a long yawn. He rubbed his face, which felt a little oily. Grimacing, Yugi wiped his hands on his comforter. He had to force himself to sit up then, just wanting to flop back down and sleep until noon. "If I had just waited at the register and not spent four hours on that puzzle, I would be asleep right no-- the puzzle!"

If he wasn't awake then, he was certainly awake now. Yugi threw off his comforter, looking around his room. "Yami?" He called, everything from the night before flooding back to him. The spirit of a wizard he met last night, that came from his Millennium Puzzle, had spoken to him last night. He told him some very confusing things, but promised to teach magic. Real magic.

Yugi was to be an apprentice to a wizard. A real wizard who could summon fairies, float in midair and... "Put me to sleep... with a sleeping spell." He grinned, getting out of bed, peering around his room again. "Yami?" He called again. However, the spirit was nowhere to be seen. He looked where one would sleep. The floor, at his desk, and even up above. Since the man could float, maybe he slept in that same way? Finding no one floating around his roof like a lost balloon, Yugi even went as far to check under his bed. Just for the sake of looking, he even checked the closet. Disheartened at finding nothing, Yugi stood near his desk. The golden box was still sitting by his lamp, and his puzzle at the center of the table top. The string was still tied to the loop, the cord neatly folded together to make a neat presentation. The odd thing was, Yugi didn't even remember taking it off last night.

"Maybe it was a dream," Yugi said softly to himself. He picked up the pyramid-shaped puzzle, unfolding the cord to place the heavy object around his neck. It still felt comfortable around his neck. That warmth it radiated was there as well. The pulse, however, was not.

"I don't get it," Yugi brushed his fingers over the puzzle. "Everything seemed so real." A feeling of sadness welled in his chest. "Wishful thinking I guess..."

Bang. Bang. Bang.

Yugi whipped around, looking at his door. Someone was knocking. "Grandpa?"

"Are you up yet?" That was his grandfather all right, sounding exasperated. "I've been trying to get you up since six."

"S-six...?" Yugi gave his door a flat look. He knew he was being punished, but to do chores _that_ early? And on a Saturday?

"Yes, six. Now get dressed," Sugoroku said. "Make your bed and come to the kitchen for something to eat. There's a lot I want you to do today."

A lot was probably an understatement. Yet Yugi did exactly what he was told. He fixed his bed before getting dressed into something more casual. A pair of jeans and loose t-shirt with a bunny on it. A pink bunny no less. This was the shirt he wore back in the sixth grade. It even had the hole at the hem from when he wore it running from bullies _in_ the sixth grade. Getting caught in those branches while trying to climb up a tree to get away was what caused it. However, it still fit perfectly. Around his neck Yugi kept his puzzle, finding no real reason to take it off. After all, dressing comfortably was the first step to beginning chores.

Yugi left his room, closing the door behind him. He walked to the kitchen where his grandfather was waiting for him. The man was dressed in his usual green overalls and yellow headband. On a plate was a piece of buttered toast. In his other hand was a cup of warm tea.

"I have to go grocery shopping later," Sugoroku said with a grin. Yugi accepted his small breakfast.

"It's okay. I don't eat much anyway." Yugi said with a shrug.

"Yes, but you do like to eat, don't you? Other than tea in the pantry and a half a loaf of bread, there's nothing in the fridge." The elderly man said. "I think once you finish all of your chores, I'll send you to the store instead. I have to look after the shop."

"Yes, sir." Yugi said.

Sugoroku grinned. "There's a good boy. Now." He cleared his throat. "Finish your breakfast and get started. I left a list for you in the living room." With that, he adjusted his overalls and padded towards the hallway. "I'll be in the shop if you need me."

Sighing, Yugi bit into his toast. It was a little stale, possibly from sitting out in the cold. Grandpa probably really was trying to get him up an hour early. His tea was cold too. Finishing his small meal, Yugi placed his dishes in the sink, and walked to the living room to get started.

Least to say, Sugoroku wasn't kidding about wanting Yugi to do a lot. On the list were his basic chores, and chores that both of them had been neglecting for months. Such as cleaning out the air conditioning vents and replacing the filters. He would need a ladder for that. Not to mention a good sense of balance! Hadn't Sugoroku realized that he was terrible at even standing on his own feet? Despite it all, Yugi still got to work. It kept his mind busy, and focused on his tasks. It kept him from thinking about Yami.

Throughout the morning and late into the afternoon, Yugi wasn't sure if having Yami on his mind hurt more than having him off. Just before dinner, Yugi walked to the back of the house to take out the last of the garbage. He wiped the sweat off his brows, and on his upper lip with his arm. He placed the lids on the cans, letting out a huff. He was a little filthy. His shirt and jeans were stained with cleaners, the dirt of the house, and the sweat that he worked up left wet patches under his arm. He paused for a moment to take a breather, backing away from the trash bins to sit on the steps. Of course, once again, the wizard was back on his mind.

Yami was such an interesting presence. He seemed very wise, and had a very confident demeanor. This figure was someone Yugi had instantly looked up too. Not to mention very much envious. The way he spoke was very refined, the way he moved was graceful. _Oh, the way he looked... _Yugi bit his bottom lip, eyes half-lid as a small tint of pink graced his cheeks. He and Yami looked alike, but the more Yugi thought about it, that man was so much more attractive. Whereas Yugi was small and awkward, Yami had been tall and polished. Fit too, and most likely strong. And, as for Yugi? He was flimsy and clumsy.

"If I were like that," Yugi murmured to himself. "Life would be different." He imagined so, anyway. He wouldn't have to run from bullies. He wouldn't have to play games by himself. He would have friends to hang out with after school, to go places with on weekends. Hell, he wouldn't be so lonely. Like right now, sitting on the steps at the side of Kame Games, with nothing but the trash cans to keep him company.

Yugi touched the Millennium Puzzle still dangling around his neck. He gently fingered the Eye of Horus, the warmth there still so comfortable against his fingers. "If only it weren't just a dream," he said softly. "Then..."

Then what? Maybe, he would be up in his room, learning the magic that Yami promised to teach. He would be playing with fairies, and casting spells. He would learn to defend himself from everyone who would do him harm. Best of all, Yami would be there. He would be real, and would be watching over him. Yugi looked up at the sky, which was still a bright cheerful blue with parted clouds. The exact opposite of his mood. He blinked his obsidian eyes, letting out a depressed sigh.

"Now, that's only wishful thinking."

Chores completely wrapped up, the rest of Saturday went uneventfully. Yugi had showered and ate another piece of toast for dinner. Surogoku decided they could live another day without groceries, and instead called for an order from the grocery store to have their items delivered to the house Sunday morning.* Surogoku saw Yugi off to bed early, as the boy was now unbelievably tired. All those chores, and of course, the off mood his grandson was in was cause for concern.

"Maybe I was too hard on you," Surogoku said as he walked with Yugi on the way to his own room. "Was changing the filter too much?"

Yugi shook his head. "No. I didn't mind. Even though I almost fell off the ladder twice, it wasn't a big deal." He gave his grandpa a lopsided smile.

"Hm. Well that's a shame." Surogoku crossed his arms. "Maybe I should have had you re-tile the roof too."

"W-what?" The boy's eyes went almost to twice their normal size. The elderly man laughed merrily.

"Ohoho! I was just kidding, Yugi. I wouldn't do that to you. You did a good job today." He clasped his grandson's shoulder. "Now go get some rest. Sunday you have shop work to do."

Yugi nodded. "Okay. Night grandpa."

"Good night, my boy." With that being said, Surogoku made his way to his own room. Yugi opened the door to his and stepped inside.

While he took a shower and had his dinner soon after, Yugi decided to leave his Millennium Puzzle on the desk, right near its golden box. He pulled up his desk chair, taking a seat there. He started to examine his puzzle for the umpteenth time. Once again he found his thoughts lapsing to his realistic, yet not so realistic, dream. Letting out a huff, Yugi leaned over his desk, staring into the Eye of Horus.

"I don't ever think I desperately wished for something to be real so bad before," Yugi said to the puzzle, as if expecting it to hear and understand him. "But that had to be a dream. Nothing like that, magic and fairies I mean, are real. Wizards don't exist." Nothing coming out of his own mouth was even remotely convincing to him. In fact, it just further depressed him.

"I never should have expected Yami to be here at all," Yugi said, closing his eyes. For reasons unknown to him, saying and knowing that just left him heartbroken.

"One should never expect anything, really." A deep voice said, making Yugi's eyes snap open. "I dare say I've fallen pray to that mistake many times."

Yugi was sitting up instantly, looking over his shoulder. There, behind him., stood the exotic form of the wizard spirit. To be sure, Yugi turned fully, large eyes widened. "Yami... Yami is that you?"

"Did you _expect_ anyone else?" Yami smirked a little, chuckling. His expression changed the moment he saw the look on Yugi's face. "Little one, you look distraught. What's wrong?"

In a split second, the small teen practically shot from his chair and right into the wizard's stomach, causing him to fall ungracefully backwards. Surprised, Yami could only utter, "Yugi..?"

"I thought you were gone," Yugi croaked out, sniffling. He was on the verge of full on tears. "I thought you weren't real. Or you left, or something. I don't know-- b-but--!"

Yami looked into Yugi's tearful eyes, a look of slight shock still on his exotic features. He placed a hand on top of Yugi's spiked hair, gently petting him. "There, there... don't cry. I'm right here. I wouldn't leave you. Even if I wanted too, I couldn't."

Yugi sniffled again, still clinging to Yami tightly. "R-really..?"

"Yes," Yami smiled softly. "And I don't want to leave you. There's still much I have to teach you."

"Then where did you go?" Yugi blinked his large eyes, causing tears to fall down his cheeks. "I didn't see you this morning. Or anywhere at all."

"I never left." The wizard said, slowly sitting up. The small teen was still pushing himself against his chest, much like a small child unable to part from their parent. "I was resting within the Millennium Puzzle."

"The puzzle...?" Yugi looked towards his desk, where the puzzle was sitting still, glimmering under the light of the lamp.

Yami nodded. "Yes. As long as you are wearing it, we won't ever be apart."

"Oh." Yugi sat up then, wiping his eyes, sniffling once more. He looked at Yami's handsome face, which was still graced with a soft expression. If anything, Yugi thought he would see annoyance at the very least, but no. Yami even reached up to brush a tear from the smaller teen's eye. Yugi's breath hitched, quickly looking away. "S-sorry..." He pushed himself off of the wizard, stumbling a little as he got to his feet.

"No need to apologize," Yami said, standing slowly. He brushed off his robes, and placed a comforting hand on Yugi's shoulder. "I suppose I should have told you of where I would be."

Yugi shook his head. "Uh-uh." _I'm the one who shouldn't be acting like some clingy twelve year old_. He looked down at the floor, now very much embarrassed. Yami must think he was a complete wuss now.

"No matter then. It's in the past," Yami said, squeezing Yugi's shoulder. The issue wasn't pressed upon. "Its a new day. Or rather, a new evening. I did not mean to rest for too long, because I know you are eager to begin your studies."

His studies? Oh, yes. That's right. Yugi was an apprentice now. His face instantly brightened up at the prospect of learning magic. He looked up at Yami shyly. "I am. Its just... um... don't I need spell books? Or a wand? A stave?" He was about to ask about getting a robe and wizard hat. That in itself was a silly image, but that was the cliché when it came to the word 'wizard'.

"Spell books, of course. Now wands and stave?" Yami rose a brow. "I'm not quite sure what those would be good for."

"Well, in books I read, they're used to channel magic." Yugi said with a slight shrug. "I figured that's what I would use."

"Channeling magic through sticks?" Yami seemed amused by that. "Interesting concept, but a little archaic. To my knowledge, the idea of waving a stick while reciting a few nonsense words had been out of style for centuries."

"... wizards had a style for casting magic?" Yugi blinked.

"Or so that is what rests in my memory banks." Yami said with a nod. "No, no. You won't need a wand or stave for our beginning lessons. All you'll need is your mind, books, pencil and paper."

Yugi nodded, making a mental note of it. "Mind, pencil and paper. But where will I get the books?"

The wizard stepped around Yugi, approaching the desk. He placed his hands on the Millennium Puzzle for a moment, as if giving the object a bit of a squeeze. The Eye of Horus glinted. Out of thin air, and with loud heavy thuds, thick leather bound and dusty books appeared on the table top.

"Your books," Yami said, stepping aside so Yugi could look. Piling the desk were stacks of books. Stacks upon stacks of books. "I've studied all of these in my past. Now, so shall you."

Yugi's eye would have twitched. There were so many of them! They weren't little thin manuals either. They were thick, five hundred pagers. "S-study? All those books?"

"As I have said, you have a lot to learn." Yami said, motioning for Yugi to come forward and sit on his chair. Which he did, but hesitantly. He was never fond of bookwork, but told himself that magic would probably be a more interesting subject. _But, all of this?_

"Is all this reading... really necessary?" Yugi asked. "Can't you just teach me a few magic words and hand motions...?"

"Not everything is ever that simple, little Yugi." Yami said, tapping the top of one stack.

"I guess..." Yugi gave Yami a sideways look. The wizard only smiled at him. "But before we start. Can I ask you a few more things? Our conversation last night still left me with a few unanswered questions."

"You may," the spirit said. Just like the night before, he sat in midair, legs crossed. He picked at his robe, as if trying to straighten it out.

"I want to know what you meant about calling me your host," Yugi placed his chin in his hand.

"Ah," Yami said, red eyes looking off to the side for a moment. "As terrible as it might sound..." he began. "Your life force feeds my own."

"Life force...?"

"Yes." The wizard nodded. "You are my puzzle's destined holder. You've awoken the power within it, therefor absorbing that power into your own body. If you were to die, then so would I. The best and worst example I can give you is that of a flea without legs. The flea will cling to the host animal, and feed there. If the animal were to die, the blood would sour, and the flea could not nourish itself. Without legs it cannot jump to the next host... therefor, it would soon die as well."

"You're a parasite, then." Yugi said, but then flushed from saying something so harsh. "What I meant by that is you can't survive without me. R-right?"

Yami chuckled. "Why yes. The difference is not 'survival' per say, but to exist. I cannot exist without the puzzle, and I cannot exist without you. If you were to die, then I will fade with you."

It was a romantic notion. Yugi's cheeks reddened at even thinking that it was so. To have a soul that cannot exist without another held so much potential for a deeper meaning. Or maybe it was just that Yugi was a romantic himself.

"One more question," Yugi said, swinging his legs as he sat in his chair. "How did you become part of the Millennium Puzzle anyway? I know its supposed to contain your power, right? And wisdom? But how did _you_ get in there?"

"A very good question," Yami said, looking very pleased. That look made Yugi's heart leap. He liked it when Yami was proud. Especially since that look of pride was directed towards him. "I'm sorry to tell you that I wish I knew."

"E-eh..?" Yugi blinked, surprised by that answer.

"Despite all the knowledge locked with me, there are still answers that are far from my grasp." He said, picking up a thick book. Yami flipped it open, waving his hand over it. As if a wind were blowing through the room, the pages easily turned. "... these are answers that are probably the ones that I seek out the most. Answers that I would trade all the knowledge in the world for..." he trailed off, running his hands over a yellowed page in the book.

Yugi watched him carefully, noticing the odd look on the wizard's face. He seemed almost sad. However, that look didn't last long. Yami was looking at Yugi again. With a ring covered finger, he tapped the book in his lap. "But I think we've wasted a little too much time. I should be teaching you. Now," he pointed to an orange book on top of the first pile, guiding it from the stack and placing it before Yugi, all with a single motion of his finger. "Open that and read up on the _Principles of Wizardry_. Out loud of course, I will explain everything."

Yugi stared at the book as it fell before him with a light thud. It even flipped open to the first few pages. He peered inside, eyes scanning the contents. "Um... Yami..." he said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Yes, my apprentice?"

"... I can't read this."

Yami gave Yugi a look of surprise. "You cannot read?"

"No, I can." Yugi shook his head. "I just can't read this language."

After a moment, Yami was back on his feet again, peering over Yugi's shoulder. The books were written in ink, but in the most unusual symbols and lettering. Lettering that wasn't English*. "Ah yes... different times, different dialects..." he reached over Yugi's shoulder, lifting the book.

"Then an oral lesson it is."

With a sheepish smile, Yugi turned his chair to face Yami. The wizard sat on the air again, reading the book to the boy. Occasionally, Yami would stop to elaborate, and Yugi would nod. Although, most of the time, he found himself just listening to the sound of the wizard's voice. His tone was deep and alluring. The tiny teen would find himself daydreaming to that voice, in which Yugi had to mentally slap himself. He needed to pay attention to what was actually being said.

And so Yami taught. Yugi did his best to learn.

–

*I once had to call the grocery store for my grandmother, and I read off a list. Some dude on a bike came by and dropped it all off at her apartment.

*English. Japanese. I don't know what to use in this. I'm using the original Japanese names (spelling wise, not so much. Im just going with what I got in the english comic books). My mother language is English, and Im not throwing in random Japanese words or phrases. "KAWAII DESU NE" is probably the most annoying thing in a fic. All in all, I don't know whether or not to refer to the language they are speaking as either English or Japanese.

Terrible. Awful. Shit. Yes.

EIGHT PAGES. PWN.

._. But still not ten. Im so close! GRAW!

Thank you all so much for reading! Reviews would be lovely. 3

Xeora


	5. Chapter 5

Wizard

by Xeora

**FATASSNOTICE: I was so deeply ashamed of chapter five that I deleted it, then reposted it. It's basically the same content, but its so much cleaner and crisper. ._. I can only apologize for the atrosity it once was. Chapter six is currently in the works. Pray I'll have it up by tomorrow evening. I'll do better care to write to avoid such awful hideousness in the future. x.x Enjoy the fixed content.  
**

Notes: Ahem. Once again, I must say thank you for everything. My supporters, readers, watchers... basically all of you are in that same category, but still. I love you. I really do. ;~; I will press on! And this time, I WILL reach ten bloody pages! OR DIE TRYING!

Most likely die trying. -_-

Warnings: MAGIC! OMG. Boy love, which is obvious. And I think you saw this coming: MORE YAMI! ASDF WTF BBQ.

Also, this. I've been dying to use this! MINDSPEAK:

_Yugi's mindspeak/thoughts_

_**Yami's mindspeak/thoughts**_

–

Five

_Never in history had a Sunday been recorded to be as slow as this one. _Yugi thought, letting out a huff of boredom. He leaned over the glass counters near the register, eying the only customer in Kame Games. A grade school kid, who had been looking at the same shelf of figurines for the last fifteen centuries. Or it felt like fifteen centuries. It had actually been only fifteen minutes. Although with a feeling of anticipation and impatience, everything would feel like time was just going at snail's pace. With only so few customers coming in, and only one sale, it was easy to say that shop work wasn't all too exciting. Often, Yugi found his mind wandering off to random places. Most of the time it would wander to his studies. Normally, to think about book learning was just so mind numbingly boring. Yet, to a wizard's apprentice, that would most likely be the exact opposite. As so it was for Yugi, who was eager to make his way back upstairs and learn more from the wizard, Yami. Saturday evening had been his first few lessons, which covered a few basic areas of what Yugi would be learning. Elements, channeling magic, summoning creatures, spells, curses, and rituals. There was an overwhelming amount of things for Yugi to be taught. He was anxious to get back upstairs and start working again. Especially since Yami had promised, just before the boy went to bed last night, that he would be taught his first spell.

"_My first spell?!" Yugi said, grinning so brightly once he was settled in bed._

"_Yes, little one. Your first spell." Yami pat the top of his head. "I can't promise you that it would be the most extravagant one you'll learn. But it is magic nonetheless."_

"_Magic is magic, and I can't wait!" The teen bounced, acting like a child at the eve of Christmas._

Yugi had a difficult time falling asleep that nightt. It seemed like a miracle that he even woke up this morning. His grandfather was surprised that he didn't have to wake Yugi this time! Without any help, the small teen had set up shop himself, and opened at their usual 9:00AM. Since it was Sundat Yugi thought that waiting until 4:00PM to close would be a breeze. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. He didn't count on it being so uneventful! Sighing heavily, Yugi stood up straight again, stretching to get the kinks out of his back. He looked at the clock. It was only 3:14PM. Pouting, Yugi crossed his arms. He didn't even notice that the customer had left.

_Hurry up already,_ Yugi thought to the time-telling device. It only ticked in the same way it always had for the past three years they've had it hanging on the wall. For some reason, that only served to annoy him a little more. _Come on!_

Glaring at the clock a little longer, as if in a staring contest with it, Yugi had barely noticed when the front doors opened again. However, he still managed to say "Welcome to Kame Games. Please feel free to ask for assistance." His tone was deadpanned.

"Oh hunny, I'm sure you'd be the one to give me hand." That voice was familiar. Very familiar. Yugi turned his head, recognizing that beautiful face immediately.

"Miss Mai!" He exclaimed. The sight of the voluptuous woman was a surprise indeed. The blonde woman flipped her hair over her bare shoulders as she approached. She wore a dress that was much too short for any ocassion. Over her shoulder was a designer purse with a buckled strap.

"I'm glad you remember me, cutie." Mai said, placing a hand on her jutting hip. "I thought I wouldn't be seeing you around for a while. You work here?"

"Yes! I mean, sometimes. I help my grandpa," Yugi said, twiddling his thumbs. "This is his shop."

"Ohh..." Mai put a manicured finger to her full lips. "_You're_ Sugoroku's grandson? I knew the name Mouto was familiar, but I didn't think you'd be related to him. Crazy coincidence."

"Heehee. Small world then." Yugi said. "He said something about knowing you. What are you doing here? I didn't think a woman like you would be into games?"

"A woman like me, huh?" She giggled, making Yugi sputter.

"Not that it's a bad thing! W-what I meant was--" Mai held up a hand to silence him, an amused smile on her lips.

"I know what you meant, hun. Not to worry." She tugged on the top of her dress, adjusting it over her cleavage. She glanced around the shop. "I'm not really into a lot of games, save for a few. As for why I'm here, it's to see your grandfather."

"My... my grandpa...?" Yugi questioned. He tried to think of why Mai would want to see him. She was dressed like she was ready for a night on the town. All she needed was a handsome man on her arm. Yugi suddenly remembered that his grandpa was a little lecherous. His eye nearly twitched. "... you're not taking him out are you?"

Mai laughed this time, "Oh _goodness_ no! I'm just here on business, hun. No offense to you, but he _has_ to be at least thirty years older than me."

Yugi let out a visible sigh of relief. "No, no... I'm actually very relieved..."

She was still in a fit of giggles. Reaching into her purse, she extracted a napkin to dab the edge of her eyes. "You're going to make me smudge my make up."

"Sorry..." Yugi said automatically, looking sheepish.

"It's all right, hun." Mai said, placing her purse on the glass counter. She leaned over the glass, looking at Yugi closely, as if examining him. Her eyes traveled from his big eyes, to his blushing face, then finally to the Millennium Puzzle hanging from a cord around his neck. "I see you're enjoying your puzzle. I didn't think it could double as fabulously large jewelry. 'Bling-bling', doll."

"H-huh?" Yugi looked down, instinctively grasping the object in both hands. "Oh, oh yes. I didnt think it could either... but thank you. For letting me have it, I mean." He said, beaming happily.

Mai stared at him a little longer, strange glint in her eye. There was an unreadable look on her face. Yugi wasn't quite sure what to make of it. It wasn't a contemplative expression, nor a blank one. It seemed to be a look of knowing. It made Yugi a little uncomfortable seeing it. He cleared his throat. Her eyeshadowed eyes blinking, Mai tore her gaze away from the object, looking up at Yugi's face.

"You're welcome, hun." She said with a soft smile, standing straight once again. Her facial expression took on its normalcy. She brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. "How about you do a lady a favor?"

"Oh, sure." Yugi said carefully, still watching the woman warily.

"Fetch your grandpa for me?" Mai asked, pouting her lips. "I know he to said meet at closing time, but I can't wait another half hour."

Yugi nodded, turning to do just that. "Sure. I'll get him for you."

"Thanks, hun. You're a real darling, you know?" Mai said, reaching over to pat Yugi's cheek.

Grinning nervously, Yugi moved away from that hand. For some odd reason, she left him feeling a little unnerved. He quickly walked up the steps, opening the door to the house part of the building.

"Grandpa?" He called while stepping inside. "Miss Kujaku is here to see you!"

"Oh?" Sugoroku peaked his head out of the kitchen, peering into the hallway. He was grinning suddenly, walking out. He placed his hands on the straps of his overalls. "Mai Kujaku, you say?"

"Yes, grandpa." Yugi said, almost rolling his eyes when Sugoroku started to smooth out his hair.

"Maybe she's finally going to ask me on that date," He chortled.

Yugi laughed a little. "She said you set up a time to meet for _business_, so I doubt it."

"Stop spoiling my fun, Yugi." Sugoroku said, clearing his throat. "A man can dream, remember?"

Yugi could only nod. Sadly, for Sugoroku, he would probably keep dreaming. With his grandfather at his side, Yugi once again descended the stairs into the shop. Mai was still standing patiently at the register, powdering her face while looking into a hand held mirror.

"Mai, dearest. It's been awhile," Sugoroku said, walking around the counter to stand before her. He was grinning in what he perceived to be a handsome way.

"Sugoroku Mouto. It was only this morning you stopped by my shop to drop off those flowers," Mai said, snapping the mirror shut once she was satisfied with her appearance. She placed it into her purse. "Which was very sweet of you, by the way."

Sugoroku chuckled. "I'm glad you enjoyed them."

Yugi, who was standing just behind the counter, resisted the urge to gag, and coughed instead.

"Oh." It was then his grandfather remembered that Yugi was still standing there. "Ah, I believe you've met my grandson, Yugi."

"Yes I have," Mai said. "A handsome young man. I can see where he gets his looks from." Sugoroku was chuckling again. Yugi, however, wasn't sure whether or not to take that as an insult or a compliment. A compliment most likely, as Mai was flirtatious by nature.

"But let's not waste too much time on idle chit-chat." She said suddenly. "We scheduled some time for business, remember?" She then opened her purse, reaching in and digging around it's contents. Yugi made a motion to leave them alone for the time being, walking around the counter to start cleaning up. It looked like no one else would be coming in today. He half listened to the pair talk as he changed their sign from "OPEN" to "CLOSED".

"I know you run a business in gaming. I've noticed you sell a lot of trading cards." He heard Mai say. "So I thought you'd be interested in _these_."

As for what they were looking at, Yugi didn't look as of yet. His curiostiy peaked when he heard his grandfather make a noise of awe.

"Hm... I've never seen cards like this before." Yugi turned around then. Mai was holding open a small brown box. Sugoroku had reached in and extracted a card from it.

"My grandmother did a lot of traveling, so she picked up things everywhere." Mai said, glancing at Yugi. She smiled at him, then motioned for him to come over and look. Which he did. "This is by far one of the most interesting items she brought home."

Sugoroku looked at it front to back. Yugi peered over, looking as well. The back had a brown and black swirl, and the front depicted a box with a picture in the center. Six pentacles were based at the top. Below was a writing neither of them could read. The picture itself was what appeared to be a wizard in purple armor. He seemed to glare up at them with blank lavender eyes.

"Wow..." Yugi said, having grown interested himself. Sugoroku passed him the card to examine.

"They're called Duel Monster cards." Mai said. "And I have plenty more of them stored away, all in little boxes like these. They've been set up into decks, just like in this one."

"Duel Monsters. Fascinating." Sugoroku said, scratching his bearded chin. "I assume you've come to us in hopes that we'll buy them off you?"

Mai giggled. "No, not quite. I actually came by to see if you would sell them _for_ me. No one walks into my store looking for trading cards. I don't think I could get rid of them quick enough." She sighed then. "If you do this for me, in turn; I'll let you keep this set here, and 20% of the proceeds." She held open the box so Yugi could put the card back on top of the deck. He did so.

"A nice offer." Sugoroku said, quirking a brow. "But are you sure you can trust us to do this for you? It seems a little risky on your behalf."

"O, I trust you dearl." Mai said with a wink. "You're both very honest people, I know _you_ wouldn't want to break my _fragile heart_."

Sugoroku's cheeks turned pink then. Now more so when Mai kissed his cheek. He rubbed the back of his neck. "Ohohoho!"

Yugi looked away, shaking his head. _Oh, gramps..._ He soon found himself blushing as well, since Mai placed a kiss on his cheek too.

"Here," She passed Yugi the small wooden box, which he took with slightly shaky hands. "I'll stop by later this week with the rest of the cards. We'll discuss prices and such then. I'm sure you'll sell them fast."

"Are you leaving already?" Yugi asked quietly, rubbing the side of his face. He was sure there was a lipstick mark there, because there was one on his grandpa's cheek as well.

"Yes, I have to get going." Mai said, putting her purse back over her shoulder. "I've left my shop unattended. I should consider hiring a strapping young man to watch my register." She was looking at Yugi when she said that, making him laugh nervously.

"Oh, let me see you to the door," Sugoroku said, practically skipping a step to do so.

"My, what a _gentleman_." she said with a sultry smile. "I'll be seeing you around, fellas. Stay out of trouble, hun." Her last statement made the boy visibly tense. Yugi still managed to nod, and wave a nervous hand good bye. Mai merely blew Yugi a kiss, then waved both men off with her fingers. She then sauntered her way through the door, which Sugoroku held open.

"Don't be shy about coming by to visit!" The elderly man called, waving his arm as Mai left. "Not everything is about business, you know!" Yugi put his face in his hand, feeling a little ashamed.

"_Grandpa_," The teen said, exasperated. "You're shameless, aren't you?"

"What can I say?" Surogoku grinned, letting the door close on its own. He took out his keys to lock the front of the shop. "I can't help myself around beautiful women."

"I really wish you would," Yugi said, blowing one of his golden locks of hair from his face. "I'll finish cleaning up then." He looked down at the box of cards, placing them on the glass counter. He wanted to look at them more later.

"You can keep those, my boy." Sugoroku said once he pocketed his keys. "The cards I mean. I haven't given you a new game to play with in awhile, so I'm sure you and your friends would have a good time playing that together."

Yugi froze then, about to grab a broom from behind the counter. Friends? What friends? Oh. Right. His little white lie. Yugi seemed to visibly deflate. To mask his unsusual expression, he then put on his best smile. He looked over his shoulder at his grandpa, and cheerfully said, "Yea. Im sure we will."

Smiling back a little crookedly, Sugoroku made his way towards the stairs. "I'll fix something to eat. Luckily, its more than just toast."

"Okay," Yugi said, starting to sweep the floor. His back was turned to his grandfather, so the elderly man couldn't see him bite his lip.

"Anything in particular, Yugi?" Sugoroku asked as he opened the door at the top of the steps.

"Oh. No. Anything you make is fine." Was the response.

"All right." His grandfather said, walking through the door. Once it was heard closing shut, Yugi let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. He paused in mid sweep, gripping the wooden handle so tightly, that his knuckles turned white. He was starting to think back on what he told his grandpa on Friday. _Maybe I shouldn't have lied. Or at least thought up a better one._ He stood there for a while longer, allowing the regret to fester. Sighing, he picked up the broom finally, putting it back behind the register. He picked up the wooden box, flipping open the top. Yugi was tempted to go through the cards now. He wanted to familiarize himself with them, and see how this game could be played. It was most likely a game he would end up playing by himself, as he had no one to actually share it with.

_No one other than Yami._ His inner voice reminded him.

Yugi brightened up instantly upon hearing that. He snapped the top of the wooden box shut. This was definitely something he wanted to share with Yami. The wizard, as so it felt to Yugi, was someone he could share anything with. Maybe between lessons they could play.

_And not just this, _Yugi thought. _We can play all sorts of things together. Like Monopoly._

It was then he suddenly remembered why he wanted so eagerly to be upstairs. He almost forgot he had another lesson waiting for him! Satisfied with how the shop was now, Yugi tucked the box under his arm, and practically sprinted up the stairs. He took off his shoes quickly, stacking them on the same spot on the shoe rack. "Call me when dinner is done, grandpa!"

Yugi zoomed past the kitchen, where Sugoroku stood before the stove, on a stool, and in an apron no less. The old man merely stirred the pot, "I will!"

Yugi didn't hear his response, as his door was already slammed shut. He placed the wooden box with the cards next to the golden one for his puzzle, right beneath the light of the desk top lamp, along with those leather bound spell books from the night before. He then took the Millennium Puzzle off from around his neck, turning it over to look into the Eye. As Yami had told him last night, Yugi assumed he had returned to the puzzle to rest. Now all he had to do was wake him. And yet...

"That sounds inconsiderate..." Yugi said to himself, a frown on his boyish face. "But... I really want to get started." He rocked on his heels, contemplating actually attempting to wake up the wizard spirit. Furthermore, how would he wake Yami in the first place? The first couple of times Yami had appeared, it was at random. Surely, he couldn't just call on the wizard at will. Could he?

Sitting at his desk, Yugi place the puzzle in front of him, staring at the object. It seemed to stare back. "Hmm... okay." The boy cleared his throat, knowing that what he was about to do would both look and sound unusual. With no one actually watching, Yugi felt a little better about actually trying this. With that in mind, he opened his mouth to say, "Yami, I know you're asleep. But I need you to wake up now...er... please?"

Not only did that sound awkward, it seemed terribly rude. Yugi put his chin in his hands, looking at the object with a slight frown. Now he most definitely felt silly for even trying. He decided then that trying to talk to the puzzle to wake Yami would be pointless. "Okay, I won't try and call you to me... I'll wait. And you'll come." Because that was the unspoken promise. Yami was dedicated to Yugi learning this magic, as Yugi was dedicated to listen and be taught.

"Actually," said the that familiar baritone voice. "Calling to me works just fine too." Yugi snapped up, turning his head to look. Sitting on the edge of his desk was none other than Yami himself. The wizard was looking at him, hands folded neatly over his lap. "Sorry, I didn't mean to surprise you. I was hoping you would be used to me appearing by now."

"Its only been two nights," Yugi reasoned, a smile breaking out over his face. "But I'm very happy to see you. I... I missed you."

"Did you?" Yami tilted his head, seeming curious. "You know, I am never apart from you, as long as you have this." He reached out over the desk and brushed the tips of his fingers over the Millennium Puzzle.

"I know, you told me before. Its just... I can't talk to you when you're in there," Yugi said shyly. "When I can't speak to you, I miss you."

"I see," Yami said, sounding strangely pleased. "Yugi, how would you like to be able to talk to me more?"

"That would be great!" Yugi exclaimed, sitting up fully in his chair. "I mean... I'd really like that. That way I can ask you more questions... and stuff. You know, about our lessons."

The wizard studied him for a moment. Those crimson eyes made Yugi nervous, and he was most likely showing it, as his gaze made the boy a little restless in his seat. Yet Yami didn't question him about his sudden squirming, and simply said, "Yes, of course."

"But how will I be able to talk to you while you're in the puzzle?" Yugi questioned, attempting to calm down. An odd image of the puzzle somehow sprouting a mouth almost made him giggle. Instead, he cracked a bit of a goofy smile. Yami didn't seem to notice it.

"Obviously through magic," Yami said, humor in his tone.

"Oh... yea, I knew that." Yugi twiddled his thumbs for the second time that day. The wizard reached out a hand, placing it on top of Yugi's head. The boy looked up, his mouth in an 'o'.

"This is a spell that I won't be teaching you for a while," Yami said, eyes half lid. "And one that I will only ever do once. I will advise you to focus on me, and observe to the best of your abilities."

Throat feeling a little dry, Yugi swallowed. "Okay."

"As for fair warning," He continued, moving off of the edge of the desk. Yami slid his hand down to Yugi's forehead. "This _will_ hurt."

"Hurt?" Before that could even register with Yugi, skull splitting pain erupted at the center of his brain, slowly spreading out in small waves. His eyes widened, and his pupils dilated. All he could see was the inversion of colors, which exploded into sudden total blackness. His knees buckled and gave in. Yugi felt as though he were falling forward into darkness itself. He was lucky that darkness had strong arms to catch him with.

Yugi felt himself being slowly lowered to the ground. He clung to Yami, who he assumed had caught him. He curled his small fingers into his robe, eyes clenched tight. He thought his brain was somehow pounding a fist into his skull. He heard himself whimper. _Make it stop._

_**Shh...**_ Yami's deep voice seemed to enter his abused mind. _**You're all right, little one. It will end soon.**_

Since it was Yami saying so, Yugi instantly believed him. However, 'feeling better' was taking such a long time. In the meantime, Yugi held onto the wizard tightly, refusing to let go. The moment the pain diminished was when Yugi finally opened his eyes. Expecting to see blackness, he was almost shocked to be met with light and normal color.

_What was that?_ Yugi thought to himself. His breathing was still a little labored from the experience, and he was afraid to speak out loud.

_**That was I, intruding your mind. **_Yami's voice was there, loud and clear.

The small teen's eyes widened. _How in the world...?_

A soft chuckle. _**Magic, remember?**_

_Yes, but..._ Yugi sat up, looking into Yami's eyes. "You can read my mind...?" He spoke finally, voice a little shaky.

_**Yes and no,**_ Yami's mouth didn't move when he answered. **_What I have done is made it possible for us to communicate with our minds. I created a mental link._**

_A mental link..._ Yugi repeated. _But _how_?_

_**That is for another time.**_ Yami 'said'. Smiling, he opened his mouth to speak out loud. "For now, I will be teaching you simpler spells. Anything that complex will be left for more advanced lessons."

Yugi was still curious, but he bit his tongue for now. He would ask later. "Okay. You said I'd be learning my first spell tonight."

"Of course." Yami said. "The spell I will be teaching you tonight will be quite basic, and one that you can use in your everyday life."

"Oh?" The teen perked up. "What one is that?"

"A locater spell." The wizard said easily. "It pretty much explains itself. This will help you locate what is lost, or help you find what _must_ be found."

Yugi grinned wide then, "Will you show me how?"

"That I will," Yami said with a nod. "But first, you must vacate my lap."

At first, Yugi was confused by that. He then realized that is where he was currently sitting, curled up in the arms of Yami.,who still had not pulled away from him. Blushing furiously, Yugi quickly moved from Yami's warm chest, muttering many apologies and other random things as he scrambled to his feet. Yami stood as well, but much more gracefully. He brushed off his robes, then turned to face Yugi, who was now staring at the floor.

"You are very easily embarrassed." said Yami, chuckling. The boy could only turn redder, and shuffle his feet. He muttered something uncomprehensible, making the wizard laugh a little more openly. Yami then cleared his throat, making Yugi look up at him with shy eyes. "Now, your spell..." he said as he walked towards the desk, looking over the books. Yami ran a finger down the stacked spines, finally pulling one out with a swish of his wrist. Flipping it open, Yami scanned through the pages until he found what he was looking for. "This requires a great deal of patience and focus. Do you think you have that?"

Yugi nodded slowly, having tried so hard to will away the red in his cheeks. Only a dust of pink remained there. "Y-yes, I do. I can do it."

"Good," Yami looked at him, making note of Yugi's determination. Lips curling upward into a little smirk, he approached the boy. "Let us begin."

–

FUCKDAMNITSHITUGH.

Nine pages. But I can't force myself. I tried. ._.

Mai has made her second appearance with another unusual set of items, Sugoroku is a pervert, Yugi's experiencing pain of a different kind and learning his first spell! FINALLY! As for Yami? Oh, he's still hot. So very hot. :c

But what's to happen next? O;

Thanks for reading. Please leave a review. ;3

Xeora


	6. Chapter 6

Wizard

by Xeora

Notes: O lawdy. _**Wizard**_ has hit it's 50th review mark (and went far beyond o.o)! HUZZAH! This calls for a name dropping sequence! 8D

Super special awesome thanks to yamixyugiyaoilover for my 50th review. *obligatory congratulatory ass slap*

Super awesome thanks to Chain for such long, inquisitive reviews. I like someone who just _understands_ my story. SRSLY! OMG. 8D

Super cool thanks to SilverDragon-Purity for all her kind words and meaty reviews. I LOVE MEATY THINGS.

Other secksi thanks to my supporters. You keep me moving strong!

Warnings: … what is there left to warn you about? o.o OH! Violence. ;3

Also:

_Yugi mindspeak._

_**Yami mindspeak.**_

–

Six

_**Something tells me, little one,**_ Yami's voice whispered softly into Yugi's mind. **_That you are dissatisfied with last night's lesson._**

Staring at a glass of orange juice, Yugi suppressed a yawn. All of last night and a little bit into the wee hours of the morning, had both of them been going over learning the locater spell. The way Yami had explained it that night was thus: in the actual act of performing this 'basic of spells', Yugi would have to attempt finding something he had lost. Of course, this sounded very easy. Yugi found out the hard way that it certainly was not. As to locate anything, something or someone must be _lost; _as well as _want, _or_ must _ be found. Yami had told him to try and _locate_ any recently lost item that may be in his room, or anywhere around the house. Like a shirt, a pencil, or even a figurine. Something he hadn't seen in over three months. All he had to do was focus on the item, and mentally compel it to reveal its location by focusing on the details in his mind. Unfortunately, anything Yugi did focus on wanted to stay _lost_, did not _want_ to be found,or did not 'feel the need'(_must_) tobe found.

Almost four hours spent on trying to learn that basic spell, Yugi ended up sleeping late. He almost _slept in,_ nearly forgetting he had school. Now he was awake at 7:33AM, barely standing in the kitchen, halfway dressed into his uniform. He stared sleepily at a glass of orange juice he poured himself. His original intent was to drink it, but looking at it seemed to satisfy his sleepy mind just fine.

_**Yugi?**_ There was Yami's voice again, causing Yugi to blink his eyes more. The boy rubbed his face.

_Hm... Sorry, Yami. I'm just tired._ Yugi mentally sent back. _The lesson was great, really. I just... need to try harder._

_**Then I need not fear for any lack of determination, **_Yami said. **_Perhaps today we will continue to practice?_**

_If I have a moment of free time, I will._ Yugi stood up straight, yawning again. He started to properly button his dress shirt, then adjusted the cord around his neck, straightening out his Millennium Puzzle. He slid on his uniform jacket next.

_**There is something else of importance you must do today?**_ Yami asked, sounding curious.

_Yea. I have to go to school. _Yugi tugged on his clothes, then finally took the glass. He sipped at the juice.

_**I see. What sort of school?**_

_You know. Just school. To learn math and stuff. _Yugi shrugged.

_**'Math and stuff'? **_Yami repeated in question. **_Whatever for?_**

_For the real world. School prepares us for jobs when we're older. So we can live on, basically... and earn money. _Yugi finished off the juice, placing it in the sink. He turned on the faucet, rinsing out the glass. _It's really boring... But sometimes we have interesting subjects._

_**I see... **_Yami didn't question him further, and went into a contemplative silence.

_Yami? _Yugi asked after their brief pause. _Didn't you have school when you were alive? Like a trade school for a certain job...?_

_**Probably. But I don't remember. **_Yami said. Yugi could picture him shrugging. **_Possibly, yes. I had to learn to become a wizard somehow. So I suppose I have._**

_Um..._ Yugi turned off the water, staring into the sink almost blankly. He bit his bottom lip. _Do you remember... anything from your past? What did you do when you were my age?_

There was another silence. One that lasted a lot longer than the first. Yugi rocked on his heels, fearing he may have offended Yami. He was about to say something else, but the wizard's voice was heard first.

_**No. I don't recall such things.**_ He said softly. **_All I do know is of what I am supposed to teach you, and of how to teach you. Flickers of memory show me what I have studied in my past. However, anything outside of that... is blank._**

Hearing that placed a little bit of sadness in Yugi's heart. To remember nothing of one's past and only to know what they've learned seemed so empty. If Yugi were in that position, he would surely be upset. He had to wonder...

_Yami... I-- _Yugi began, but was immediately shocked from his train of thought. A hand was placed on his shoulder, making him whip around in fright. With his widened eyes he looked into the face of his grandfather. Sugoroku looked back, brows raised in concern.

"Grandpa," Yugi breathed. "You scared me!"

"Sorry to interrupt your staring contest with the sink," Sugoroku said, chuckling half-heartedly. "But you're going to be late for school." He held Yugi's backpack. He presented it to his grandson, who took it immediately.

Shouldering his bag, Yugi gave Sugoroku a sheepish grin. "Thanks, grandpa. I'm leaving now." He felt another yawn coming on, which he muffled with his hand.

"You should start going to bed earlier, my boy." The elderly man said, wagging a finger. "I see there are bags forming under your eyes."

"I know." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I just had a lot of homework to catch up on." In all actuality he was ahead in his normal school studies. He inwardly scolded himself for fibbing. Even though it wasn't that big of a lie, it was still a lie nonetheless. Maybe he was starting to create a bad habit?

"I understand, but still." Sugoroku crossed his arms. "Tired eyes is the beginning of crows feet. Do you want wrinkles at your age?"

Yugi heard a faint chuckle in the back of his mind. His cheeks colored. _Not funny._

_**But it is.**_ Yami countered gently.

Yugi shook his head. "Well, I better get going. I'll see you after school, grandpa." With that, he started on his way out of the kitchen, walking out into the hall. He paused at the entrance to pull on his sneakers and tie the laces.

"Don't forget your curfew this time!" Sugoroku called. "Or at least call me if you're going to be out late! I know all you kids carry cell phones nowadays. One of your friends is bound to have one!"

Yugi's shoulders visibly slumped. He was starting to dread hearing _that_ word. 'Friend', 'friends', 'friendship'. His lie was certainly starting to haunt him. In the end, there was really nothing he could do about it. Other than spill the truth. However, he saw no real benefit in doing that now, he would only feel foolish. With a "Yes, sir.", he stood slowly. Descending the steps into the shop, he made his way out the front door, letting it close slowly behind him.

The morning air was chilly. Yugi knew because the slightly frosted wind nipped his cheeks. He rubbed his face with both hands, sighing a little bit.

_**You seem depressed,**_ Yami commented as Yugi began his trek down the sidewalk.

_I do...?_ To himself, he even sounded upset. Yugi shoved his hands into his pockets, biting the tip of his tongue. _Sorry, I don't mean to be. I just... well you can read my mind, right?_ He assumed since he could hear Yami's voice in his head, the wizard could just look into his mind and see for himself. Swallowing, Yugi instinctively braced himself for Yami's answer.

_**Yes and no,**_ Yami said. **_I can only read what you wish to tell me._**

_Oh, _Yugi closed his eyes for a moment, still feeling very tense. He considered not telling Yami at all, but this was something he was keeping in for so long. He needed to tell somebody, or he might just explode. _I did something pretty bad._

_**Bad? Such as?**_ Yami's voice was tinged with concern.

_Nothing really terrible. Well, okay. It was terrible. Or at least that's how I feel. _Yugi paused in his stride, staring up at the sky. _I lied to my grandpa..._

_**I see. Just what did you lie about?**_

_Something really stupid, _Out loud, Yugi laughed nervously to himself. _Something that I should have just told the truth abou--_

_**Yugi, look out!**_

The warning was much too late. Something had collided into Yugi's side, causing the small boy to stumble and nearly fall on his face. He managed to catch himself on the nearest wall. He looked over his shoulder to see what hit him, already wide eyes all the more wider in shock. Crumpled on the ground where Yugi once stood was a beat-up bicycle. On the handlebars was an even worse-for-ware wicker basket. It hung ungracefully off the side, the mouth of it spilling rolled up newspapers. Tangled with the bike was a young man, who was swearing up a storm.

"Oh god..." Yugi moved off from the wall, immediately trying to help the poor young man up. "Are you okay?"

"Yea, yea. Now don't touch me!" the boy snapped, pushing Yugi's hands away. He pulled himself up from under his bike. "God damnit, look at what you made me do." He picked the bike up, muttering about how old and useless it was.

Yugi bit his lip, unsure of what to say. To be courteous, he picked up the fallen newspapers. He held them for a moment, then said, "I'm sorry about your bike... but um..."

The young man was swore on, busy trying to straighten out his bike, back still turned to Yugi. So, Yugi cleared his throat, attempting to gain his attention. It worked, and the young man whipped around. He rounded on the tiny teen, glaring at him with angered honey colored eyes.

"You need to watch where the hell you're standing!" He snapped, making Yugi flinch. "Jesus, can't ya hear me shoutin' at all? I told you to move the hell outta my way!"

"I-I'm sorry... I was..." Yugi backed away a little bit. "I was sorta... lost..."

"Like hell ya were," He growled, reaching out to snatch the newspapers from Yugi's grasp. He stuffed them into the old basket, then ran a hand through his messy blond hair. "Now I'm behind..." he muttered, mounting the bike.

"I'm really sorry..." Yugi tried again, holding out a hand. "I really didn't mean to be in your way."

The blond huffed, not responding. He started to pedal hard, zooming fast down the sidewalk. A few people walking had to jump out of the way to make a path. The small teen let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. He didn't realize he felt so tense.

_**Are you okay, Yugi?**_ Yami's voice nearly startled him.

_Y-yea. I am._ Yugi murmured back.

_**Are people of your time always that brash? **_He asked, sounding a little miffed.

_Sometimes... but not everyone is like that._ He started walking again, hands now on the shoulder straps of his backpack. He shrugged. _Some aren't so cheerful in the morning. Maybe he's just having an off day._

_**He screamed at you,**_ Yami said disapprovingly. **_And you're willing to just brush it aside?_**

_It's no big deal._ Yugi said, trying to seem cheerful. He was failing miserably. _It's not like it happens all the time or anything._ But it did. It most certainly did. Yugi didn't want Yami to know how he was socially. He always ended up at the wrong end of a confrontation. He was even the most awkward when it came to people.

_**If you say so, little one.**_ Yami said with slight defeat. **_If you say so..._**

Yugi could only smile. There really wasn't much he could say to defend himself. So instead, he changed the subject. _You've been teaching me a lot about magic. Maybe today I can teach you a few things._

_**Oh?**_

_Yea! About how I live and what I do. I know you've been asleep for a long time, so this might be interesting for you._

**_It certainly sounds interesting. _**Yami chuckled, seeming to forget about the event that happened only moments before.**_Then teach me, my apprentice. I will be your student for today._**

Upon hearing that, Yugi felt much more cheerful. He pushed the negatives to the back of his mind, instead focusing on telling Yami everything about the modern day. Everything he knew of, or thought was interesting enough to mention. Often, Yugi found himself rambling, but Yami didn't seem to mind it at all. In fact, the more the boy talked about burger restaurants, denim jeans, video games, TV and other unusual concepts just brought on more and more questions. The wizard was fascinated.

_**So if I eat this treat you call 'eyes scream', my brain will surely freeze over?**_ He asked as Yugi turned a corner. School was only one street over. **_And you would find this... enjoyable?_**

Yugi openly laughed, catching an odd look from an elderly couple walking down that same strip of sidewalk. He gave them a nervous grin, then quickly looked away. He picked up his pace, hands now back in his pockets. _No, it's if you eat ice cream too fast... you have to experience it to understand what I mean. I'll give you some one day._

_**I'll look forward to it. **_Yami said. There was a short pause. **_How long before we get to this 'school' of yours?_**

_I just need to take the cross walk at the next corner. It's that big white building..._ Yugi said, wondering if Yami could see it. He assumed since the spirit saw that blond boy nearly run him over, he could see everything else around him. That brought up another question to mind.

_Hey, Yami? _Yugi began, pausing at the crosswalk. The light was still red.

_**Yes?**_

_How did you see that guy coming?_ Yugi pushed on the button once or twice, watching the signal. Cars were still speeding by. _Can you see through the puzzle?_

_**No, I cannot. I am unable to see while I am confined here. I can, however, sense what is around you.**_

_That's pretty cool,_ and Yugi certainly thought so. The signal finally switched. Cars slowed to a stop, allowing pedestrians to cross. Soon, Yugi was amongst a crowd of male students in the same blue uniforms. Girls wore jackets of pink, coupled with blue skirts and a blue ribbon. They were chattering, all passing by Yugi without so much as a glance.

_**There are many here.**_ Yami commented absently. **_I assume a lot of young people attend school?_**

_Yea, _Yugi answered, wincing a little when someone carelessly brushed past him. He dodged around another group, this time a trove of giggling girls who didn't notice him at all. It was in the morning he especially hated his tiny stature.

_**Do you mind if I have a look? **_Yami asked as Yugi tried to balance himself.

_It would be strange if someone just appeared out of thin air, _Yugi ducked off to the side, finally breaking away from the crowd as they entered the large campus of Domino High School. _I mean, it's suspicious. And it could cause a riot if people see you. Er... no offense..._

_**Who said anything about anyone seeing **_**me****_? _**Yami chuckled. That statement confused the boy.

_Then how? _Yugi paused in his stride, frowning at the front entrance. There were too many people filing in at once. He knew he would get stuck in that plethora of bodies, and most likely get knocked around like the weakest link in a mosh pit at Wood Stock. The very idea always made him dread the 'morning rush'. Just why were students in such a hurry to get into this place anyway? Other than the fact that they had too, Yugi hadn't known a single person to actually _like_ walking into this building. His opinion involving the thoughts of others wasn't credible, sadly. As Yugi didn't really _know_ anyone.

_**Allow me control. **_Yami said softly.

_Control? _Yugi seemed all the more confused by that statement.

_**Yes. With your permission, I can take control of your body for a temporary time. That way I can see.**_

_Oh, _Yugi blinked, scratching his cheek. He didn't really see any harm in it. Yami only wanted to observe. As for how it would work, Yugi automatically assumed magic, and possibly possession. After all, Yami was a spirit. Although, the word 'possession' sent an odd shiver of fear down his spine. Even after their short time together, the teen had come to trust the wizard spirit. He knew, certainly, that allowing Yami to do so wouldn't be anything like the tortures of Emily Rose.

… right?

_**What's wrong? **_Yami asked. **_You seem unsettled._**

_N-nothing. I trust you. _Yugi said finally, having trouble swallowing the lump in his throat. _You can have control. I'm kinda curious about it now._

_**Very well. Anytime you wish to have control again, let me know. **_

Yugi nodded slowly. He instinctively braced himself, breath catching in his chest. The Eye of Horus glinted, followed by a brief white light erupting from the center. The feeling of switching was virtually indescribable. Yugi didn't even feel as if he had gone anywhere. In fact, he didn't feel anything at all. No tingles of magic or pain, much to his relief. If anything, the light was the only thing that was odd. Yugi could still see through his eyes, felt himself breathe, and the gentle beat of his heart. However, turning his head to and fro wasn't of his doing. Neither was looking at his hands, which seemed bigger than normal. Also, was the bronze plaque at the school entrance lowered? Just when was he eye-level with some of the shorter girls?

_Yami?_ Yugi tried to speak out loud, but it only echoed in his head.

_**So this is where you are,**_ Yami said. **_I sensed many, but I didn't think it would be this overwhelming._**

_Well, yes. These are the students. _Yugi said, feeling unusual. This experience was so surreal. He felt himself move, yet he wasn't moving at all. It was as if someone were forcing him to be mobile, and his body had no objections to it at all. Experimentally he tried to resist it, but it was as if an unknown force were controlling his limbs with ease. This is what Yami meant by 'control'. Yugi no longer had any say in where he was going, or what he was doing. The notion would usually frighten most people, but since this was the wizard spirit, the idea left a little room for comfort. He noticed that his limbs were moving again, this time his legs. They were walking towards the crowd of students making their way into the high school.

_Im kinda short, _Yugi said quickly, sounding embarrassed by saying so. _Be careful, I don't want you to knock me – erm, _yourself_ over._

_**Oh?**_ Yet he wasn't pushed at all. In fact, some of the students noticed his approach and stepped out of the way. Some of them were giving Yugi strange looks. Or should he refer to himself as Yami during this time? Without having the need to dodge or be shoved, Yami walked through the entrance as if he were a regular part of the student body. If Yugi had control of his mouth, his jaw would have dropped. This was completely out of the ordinary for someone as tiny as Yugi! Unless...

_Yami, go through the door on your left. _Yugi said suddenly, noting the entrance to the boy's bathroom at the corner of his eye. Yami looked, but didn't question him. He pushed open the door to the boy's restroom, stepping inside. He let the door close on its own behind him, eyes traveling to the first thing one would see above the sink. The mirror. Yugi, who expected to see his small, awkward reflection, was stunned.

Staring back at him with sharp red eyes was the reflection of Yami. However, he wasn't dressed in those loose robes. His jewelry was nowhere to be seen, neither on his fingers or those gold bands around his neck. He was in Yugi's Domino school boy uniform. The only difference was that it was a few sizes too large for what the boy usually fit into.

_'How' _was the first word to cross Yugi's mind. But it wasn't voiced, knowing the answer was just that simple. _Magic is amazing, Yami..._

Yami's reflection smirked right back. _**It is, Yugi. It truly is.**_

–

Stopping here for now. The school bit will have three parts, btw.

Beefy, ugly seniors are to come. Also, who can guess who the blond boy was? ;B

Cookie for you if know.

Thanks for reading! Leave a review. OR YOU MUST DIE. D8

Xeora


	7. Chapter 7

Wizard

by Xeora

**Anothercrazynotice: Deleted chapter seven, and fixed it. This is another repost. :c**

*starts passing out cookehs* Good day, everyone. Good day. As always, I would like to begin with thank yous. I'm happy that people are actually reading this. XD Although I'm very unhappy with this fic, I'm proud of the amount I wrote. o3o Also, sorry for the late update. I got bored suddenly, and I ended up staring at my screen for a few hours a day without doing anything. I knew what I WANTED to write, but I just couldn't write it.

WARNINGS: Yami being hot. With magic. If your panties aren't wet at this point, you're probably a robot. Also, violence (cuz there wasn't any in the last chapter).

–

Seven

Viewing one's own perspective from the 'back seat' was probably the only way to describe being this kind of experience. Yugi felt like a puppet, but with a consciousness, as the only thing he seemed to keep for himself a sense of free will of was that of his thoughts. Yugi was now watching through the eyes of Yami, the wizard having been 'at the wheel' as they sat at Yugi's homeroom desk. With a bit of amusement, he watched the spirit as he examined the contents of it. Yami flitted through the papers messily stacked inside, eyeing the red marks and letter gradings Yugi's instructors had made prior to the return. Yami also discovered a bag of marbles, a deck of normal playing card, and a pencil case. Upon opening the small casing, he found that it contained more than just a pen or pencil. It was also stuffed with old candy wrappers the boy had yet to throw out. Yugi felt a little embarrassed at Yami discovering that, yet the wizard didn't seem to mind. He just closed the box and placed it back inside, then closed the desk itself. Crossing his legs and arms, he took a moment to observe the front.

_**What do you do from here?**_ Yami then asked, almost startling Yugi.

_Oh..._ Yugi mentally bit his lip, since he didn't have any say in his facial movements. _Students take this time to study and wait for the teacher. The teacher takes roll call... you know, to see who's here. Then we wait for the bell to ring... and go to the next class._

Yami blinked. _**That's all?**_

_For the first class, yea. _Yugi confirmed.

_**That seems like an awful waste of time, **_Yami commented. **_Unless _you_ study?_**

Yugi giggled a little bit, but coughed to hide it. Or made a coughing sound that echoed a little in his mental ear. _I'm ahead in my homework, so I don't really need to._

**_Then what do you do? _**Yami asked, shifting a little in his seat. **_Sit here?_** He didn't seem to like that idea. Yugi could tell that Yami was growing restless. Those wooden chairs were, after all, very uncomfortable.

_Well,_ Yugi took a moment to think. No activity really came to mind. The list of things he usually did were thus: often he would day dream, or play any one of the games he kept in his bag. Yugi didn't want to mention those things.

As he stared through Yami's irises, Yugi noticed that barely any of the students were quietly studying at all. Some had moved the desks so they could talk in groups with their friends. A few paper airplanes were tossed by a couple of boys. Some girls were chatting together over a magazine, and giggled loudly. In the end, Yugi concluded that he really didn't have many options. _I guess there really isn't much to do._

Yami openly chuckled then. The rumble in his throat was deep, and surely nothing like the boyish laugh of Yugi. Even the pitch of his voice had changed. Yugi vaguely wondered if anyone would take any definite notice of that. A part of him surely hoped not, another was curious of whether or not that the rest of his classes, not to mention the teachers, were to become suspicious.

_**What do **_**you****_ normally do? _**Yami then asked. It was a question that Yugi had hoped wouldn't come up. But lo and behold, there it was.

_Well, nothing too exciting... _Yugi said, thinking back. Every day he would find himself alone at his desk, quietly humming as he pieced together a puzzle, messed around with a rubix cube, or had a rousing game of Sudoku. That's what he considered fun. The more he thought about it, the more he began to feel almost ashamed that he found playing games by himself a little more invigorating than what a normal person would do. Normal being chatting with everyone else, laughing at something or other, and basically socialize. So instead, he tried to play this off as casual, as if he were completely disinterested in what everyone else would do.

_I have games in my bag?_ Yugi offered shakily. _Er, I mean, I play with them to help time pass by._

Rather, this was as smooth as he could possibly get.

_**Games? **_Yami shifted again, this time to shrug the backpack off his shoulders. His interest seemed to peak at the work 'game'. Yugi felt relieved then, thankful that the wizard hadn't questioned his stammer. Yami pulled out various little toys that Yugi kept hidden in his bag. These toys included odd little things like ten sided dice, a Game Boy, a small box of puzzle pieces, and other colorful items.

_I take it you like games,_ Yugi decided to comment as the wizard extracted something else. A little brown box. There was a slight twinge of excitement then, upon thinking on Yami's reaction. It felt as if Yugi had stumbled upon something valuable. Apparently, he had.

_**I do,**_ Yami said back. **_Among the few memories I do have, games are probably what stands out the most._** Out of all the little knickknacks Yami had extracted from the bag, this little box seemed to take up most of his interest. He removed the top, placing the lid on the desk.

_Do you remember what you played? _Yugi asked, his voice revealing how happy he had become. This was a new found connection, as more than just student and teacher, apprentice and master. This was something both of them had in common. Knowing that was what made him feel as if he were smiling too much.

_**In a sense I do. I cannot recall much...**_ Yami trailed off then. He reached into the small box, extracting a familiar card. Yugi immediately recognized it as the Duel Monster card that Miss Mai had dropped off last night. The depicted wizard glared back at both of them, the image looking so much better in a brighter light. He wondered how the box of cards got into his backpack in the first place. He hadn't remembered packing it away with the rest of his games. He then remembered his grandfather had handed him his bag. Perhaps the elderly man slipped it in without his knowledge?

Yugi felt Yami's eyes widen.**_ Yugi. Where did you get this?_**

_Huh? _Yugi's attention snapped back to the actual wizard. _Oh! I almost forgot about those!_ _I got them yesterday. I was supposed to show them to you._

_**How? And where? **_Yami pressed. The magical spirit certainly seemed eager to know.

_Grandpa gave them to me-- _Yugi started, but was cut off by a pleased little laugh.

_**How fortunate! **_These cards seem to make the wizard almost excited. He took the cards from the box, scanning through them. **_Perhaps just a stroke of luck..._**

_Luck? _Yugi was confused now. _Are these... important, somehow?_

_**Very much so, Yugi. Very much so. **_The wizard didn't elaborate anymore than that, so Yugi assumed he would have to ask later. He was just about to say something else, only to be interrupted by another voice.

"Excuse me?"

Yugi would have jumped. Luckily, Yami wasn't so easily startled. The wizard was still flitting through the cards, pausing occasionally to look at the pictures or quietly read what was written in the lower boxes. A throat was cleared, and Yugi could see a silhouette of a girl in the corner of Yami's eye.

_Yami, _Yugi tried to get his attention, feeling a little silly for interrupting Yami's examination of those cards. _Someone's talking to you-- Or.. erm... _me_, really._

"Oh?" Yami, for the first time, had spoken out that time. His voice made Yugi wince. His fear of suspicion rose once again. The wizard turned his head, brow quirked at the girl who stood there. Yugi recognized her immediately.

_Anzu,_ Yugi mentally swallowed.

_**A friend of yours? **_Yami asked, looking at the girl who stood before him. She wore the standard Domino High uniform. There was no visible wrinkle in her jacket nor her ribbon, but her skirt seemed a little too short. She blinked her blue eyes at 'Yugi', tilting her head to the side as she gave him a small smile. She pulled up a chair next to him, brushing a lock of brown hair behind her ear.

"Hi, Yugi." She said, almost carefully. Anzu paused for just a moment. "It's been a while since I saw you."

_Or bothered to take notice... _Yugi mentally murmured, feeling a little depressed now at her presence. Normally, anyone speaking with him would make him happy. However, Anzu wasn't someone that filled him with much joy anymore.

_**Yugi? **_Yami didn't answer the girl, just merely stared at her neutrally. **_Who is she?_**

_That's Anzu Mizaki, _Yugi said finally, sounding huffy, even to himself. _Just a girl I used to talk to a lot when I was younger. She's... well..._ He didn't finish, just letting himself trail off quietly. He didn't want to mention that she openly ignored him most of the time.

"I just wanted to see how you were doing," Anzu said, leaning over Yugi's desk. She looked at the little toys there, a bemused smile on her lips. "And as usual, you're playing games, hm?"

"Hi, Anzu." Yami greeted carefully, causing the girl to look at him. Yugi's breath would have caught then. He felt as thought the biggest secret of his life was written all over his face. It practically was. It was just too obvious, the differences between him and Yami. She was sure to notice his beautiful face, a beautiful face that wasn't Yugi's. If his features weren't enough, it was certainly the height. Even if he were sitting down, Yami was still tall. Or rather, a lot taller than Yugi was.

Anzu leaned in closer, making Yami lean back slightly. If Yugi had control, his heart would have started to race. Inside, Yugi was growing nervous. This girl was looking at him oddly, as if trying to pinpoint something. Yami merely blinked, expression still virtually blank.

But she just _had to know_. It would be impossible to miss!

"Wow, Yugi. There's something a little different about you today," Anzu said, standing straight again. She crossed her arms, a contemplative pout on her lips. "New haircut?"

_No way..._ Yugi felt as if he were holding his breath, having forgotten that Yami was the one who took in air for the both of them. But this was insane! Couldn't she tell that the boy sitting at the desk _just wasn't him_? It would take the most oblivious kind of person not to notice!

"I've been as I always have." Yami said casually, half shrugging his shoulder. His answer didn't sound quite like the Yugi she knew, or quite like the Yugi that _Yugi himself_ had grown accustomed too. However, Yami really wasn't saying much. Perhaps that was why Anzu seemed to just brush it aside, but what Yugi couldn't understand is how she just could do that. If Yugi were in her position, he would be practically spitting questions.

"I see," Anzu was smiling again, looking satisfied with that answer. "I'm glad its not anything out of the ordinary." The response was playful, and almost teasing. If Yugi could, he would have shifted about restlessly in his seat. Yami would have none of that nervous shuffling, he only tilted his head at her.

"Well, I better get back." Anzu said, turning on her heel. She waved at him over her shoulder. "I'll talk to you later then, Yugi." With that, she left him alone.

However, Yugi was quite dumbfounded.

_**She's an odd girl,**_ Yami mentally conveyed, as if the previous exchange was perfectly normal. **_You didn't tell me exactly who she was._**

_Oh, _Yugi began, unsure if he could word himself properly. He still felt quite stunned. _Well... she's just someone who would come and talk to me sometimes. She did it more when I was in middle school, but now she doesn't... well, not so often anymore._

_**I see,**_ Yami started to place Yugi's objects back into his back, save for the cards. He wasn't done looking at them just yet. **_Do you resent her for it?_**

_For her not talking to me? _Yugi asked. _O, no... no, of course not. Its impossible for me, really... to hate her, I mean. She's just a busy girl..._

Yami looked over at Anzu then. She was amongst a group of more females in copies of those same uniforms, talking and laughing about some subject unheard. For a moment, she glanced at him and smiled. Yami merely looked back down at the desk. _**You classify that as busy? Twittering like a hen with other women?**_

_Well, yes. She's a girl. _Yugi said, his argument probably weaker than he originally thought. _She does girl things... she doesn't spend time with a lot of other boys, you know?_

_**If you say so, little one.**_ Yet, Yami didn't sound very convinced. As Yugi feared, the wizard was probably beginning to understand the social situation Yugi was truly in. This prospect was starting to further frighten the boy. So he brought Yami's attention to something else.

_Yami..._ Yugi began slowly. _Anzu was looking right at you._

_**That she was,**_ Yami wrinkled his nose, his attention back to the cards. He was still examining them, front to back.

_No, I mean... she was looking right at _you_. _Yugi pressed. _Why didn't she see you? It doesn't make sense. It's clear that _you're_ the one sitting in my chair, not _me.

_**She did see you, Yugi. Or so I have convinced her.**_ Yami said easily.

_Convinced? _Yugi would have quirked a brow at that. _Wait. Magic. Right? You cast a spell on her..._

**_Not on her per say, but on this body._** Yami was back at the top of the stack of cards, looking at the armored wizard once again. He ran his thumb over the image. **_All anyone will ever see is you, because _I_ do not want to be seen._**

Yugi was about to voice a few more questions, wanting to know more about this particular spell. A few managed to spill, such as "_How does that work?_" and "_You'll teach me something like that, right?_". Unfortunately, the bell rang before Yami could answer any of his questions at all. Students shuffled around, pushing their chairs back into their proper places. The homeroom instructor walked in briskly.

Thus, Yugi's 'normal day' of school began.

Mind, the word 'normal' is used quite loosely. Since Yugi was able to 'watch' his day, he felt a little embarrassed at the fact that the time he spent at school was... well, boring. Yet Yami didn't seem disinterested, unless he had to sit still for long periods of time. Classes went by with little to be done. Silently, the wizard asked Yugi a lot of questions pertaining to everything about his classes, and why Yugi found some subjects to be difficult. Surprisingly, Yami was good at modern academic subjects, more specifically math. Another part of Yugi wasn't surprised at all. Certainly the wizard knew a lot more than just magic, and it showed, especially when he suddenly stood and rewrote his math instructor's equation on the board in what he was sure was the proper way. The next hour or so was the both of them arguing over a variable, something or other. Students watched with semi interest as the teacher, Mr. Tamaguchi, didn't seem to like being wrong, more so since the error Yami pointed out was actually there. Yugi thanked the stars for that, as Tamaguchi threatened detention.

Between classes was something different entirely, but just as nerve racking. Often, Yugi found himself having to remind Yami that he shouldn't be using magic in front of other people, as the wizard had a habit of turning pages in the textbooks with a motion of his fingers, or compelling doors to open without even touching the knobs.

_Not trying to put a damper on what you normally do,_ Yugi said with a sigh. _But people are starting to stare._

More so when in the library, Yami had knocked down a pile of books by accident. With a flick of the wrist, they were back in a neat stack on the study table. A girl Yugi remembered to be in his previous math class actually asked if he knew "any other cool magic tricks". Luckily, the wizard was a 'smooth talker' (or that's how Yugi played off this spell to be), and simply brushed her question aside, as the girl was "seeing things". Several incidents with other members of the student body had approached him, and were all satisfied with answers such as "You're being silly." "What magic trick?" "I don't know what you're referring to."

Not only could Yami hide his appearance, but he also held the ability to sway others to believe what he was saying just by saying. Immediately, Yugi thought Jedi. _The Force_ was something Yugi made mental note to ask about later, mostly for his own amusement. It was also so hard to believe that the students would simply nod and go back to what they were doing before. It was totally amazing.

_You know,_ Yugi began, sounding happy. Oh, and he was. He most certainly was. _Maybe I should have you keep control during the weekdays._

Yami chuckled, placing his hands in his pockets. He was walking out on the school grounds during a free period, taking in some fresh air. _**Little one, I wouldn't want to intrude on such... invigorating experiences that you have here.**_

_But this is by far the most exciting thing that's ever happened to me! _Yugi laughed.

_**This is also only temporary, **_Yami reminded him then, pausing in his walk to be within the shade of an unblossomed Sakura tree.**_ I only wished to observe._**

_Yea, I know. _There was a soft sigh. _It just seems better this way._

_**How so?**_

_O shoot... did I say that out loud? _Yugi mentally frowned. He didn't mean to let that slip. He felt Yami's brow quirk at that. _W-what I mean is I had... fun. Watching you. I-if Im not rude for saying so. It was kind of... refreshing to have someone live as me for a day. If what Im saying is making sense...?_

Yami smirked then. He rubbed under his nose. _**Don't worry, it does. It's... refreshing, as you say, to actually... feel.**_

_Feel? _The boy questioned.

**_Yes. To experience the sensations of having a body once again. _**Yami placed his hand on the tree, running his fingers over the bark. **_As... a spirit, I may be able to touch something, but I would not be able to feel it. The texture, any warmth, coldness... I would just know that what it was, was in my grasp._**

_To feel nothing...? _Yugi wondered, this time keeping his thoughts to himself. He couldn't imagine how that would be. It was probably something akin to total body numbness. He suddenly imagined a trip to the dentist. Instead of a novacaine injection to the mouth, he pictured having needles prick all over his body. The very thought usually would have made him shiver.

_**Heh. Well, no matter. **_Yami said, snapping Yugi out of his reverie. The crimson-eyed male was now looking up at the flower buds of the branches. **_When my curiosities are sated for today, you will have your body back. Unless you say otherwise?_**

_Uh-uh. _Yugi mentally shook his head. _Take your time. I don't mind sitting back and watching._

Yami chuckled out loud, crossing his arms. _**You trust me so easily.**_

_Of course. You haven't given me any reason not to._ Yugi said cheerfully. _After all, you did say that no harm would come to me. Remember?_

**_I remember, little one. _**Yami closed his eyes for a moment, his mind wandering back to their first day. Yugi reminisced back on that memory as well. Yami had made a promise to him, and it was a promise the wizard intended to keep. With that promise was a sweet gesture, a gesture that Yugi still blushed about when he thought back on it. The wizard had been so... Yugi just couldn't really describe it. The way Yami had touched his face, and the look of assurance was so... romantic. Yes, that was the word. Thinking about it just made Yugi's heart flutter so. For a moment, Yugi thought that Yami may be thinking along the same lines as his. Yugi felt a smile grace Yami's lips, and those crimson eyes fluttered open once again. Yami placed his hand back onto the bark of the tree, tracing the curves and indention there. From behind his crimson eyes, Yugi watched, feeling his heart start to race.

However, that _moment_ didn't last very long. Yami suddenly tensed. As it was Yugi's body, he felt the sudden tightening of his shoulders. A frown was now set over Yami's lips, that smile gone.

_What's wrong? _Yugi asked, sudden dread washing over him. It was a feeling he wasn't used to, despite having felt it so many times before.

_**I sense... negative energy... **_Yami's gaze traveled left to right slowly. He pressed his palm against the tree. Negative energy? Just what was that? Yugi didn't question, and merely waited. That dread seemed to expand. Something was definitely wrong. He could practically _feel danger_ creep up his spine.

Finally, Yami turned his head to the right.

Full blown fear suddenly enveloped Yugi's core being. A fear so powerful that it almost caused his knees to quake. Yami had to shift to keep those nerves in check. Hand still upon the bark of the tree, the wizard turned to face the source of Yugi's sudden burst of distraught emotion. Through crimson glass Yugi could only see the red face of the devil. That devil being the smirking, almost hideously twisted face of Hirutani. Despite 'Yugi's' new height, this young man could still tower over him. He cast such a damning shadow and had an aura that just reeked of inevitable doom. Yet, without flinching, Yami stared into those dark eyes, which bore holes into his own.

"Mouto," Hirutani said gruffly. If Yami weren't so busy looking up at this huge teenager, he would have seen those thick fists clench.

Yugi, however, didn't miss it. He whimpered. _Oh no..._

_**Be calm, little one.**_ Yami mentally whispered. He watched Hirutani warily as Yugi lapsed into a frightened silence. Oh how could have he forgotten! Yugi inwardly cursed himself for doing so. He had been so wrapped up with Yami and the events of the weekend, that this had completely slipped his mind. This boy, no, this _monster_ that found pleasure in torturing him. It was a wonder to Yugi that he even managed to _forget_ in the first place. Hirutani's ferocious image had been burned into his mind since his first day of high school, when the older male beat him to a near bloody pulp just for looking at him the wrong way in the lunch room. The memory would have made his mouth dry.

_Run. Just run._ Yugi managed to say, tone desperate. _If you stay here, we'll _both_ get hurt._

Yami didn't respond. He only continued to watch Hirutani, who was now openly cracking his knuckles.

"Don't think I forgot about your scheduled beating, you little shit." The senior said. "You got away last time... but don't you think I'm just going to let you run now."

Yami's mouth twitched. The corner curled upward, a smirk now on his lips. "Heh."

Yugi inwardly flinched. That sound, that confident little noise is what most likely was going to sign his death sentence. Now wasn't only Hirutani going to punch him, he really was going to rip out his spine.

It appeared so, as Hirutani started to growl. "Smug, aren't you?" He grabbed the front of Yami's uniform jacket. In response, Yami grasped Hirutani's wrist, squeezing it hard. Now, Yugi's strength was nonexistent. It was a known fact that he could barely even carry his own weight around, let alone successfully defend himself from someone as huge as Hirutani. It was absurd! It was laughable!

Yet it was happening. The sight of it was what left Yugi even more speechless than he already was. The older male flinched, and was forced to let go of the wizard.

"Why you..." Hirutani stepped back, looking as surprised as Yugi felt. Just how did _that_ happen? Was it even plausible?

"Is this supposed to intimidate me?" Yami suddenly said, causing Hirutani to freeze for a moment. "Because you're doing a rather poor job."

The vicious growl that usually made Yugi flinch got louder then. The wizard wasn't perturbed at all. He merely stood there, watching Hirutani with a smug little curl of his lips. His hand was still on the bark of the tree.

"You cocky bitch!" As nonexistent was Yugi's actual strength, so was Hirutani's patience. He rose a fist, intent on landing a heavy blow to Yami's face.

If Yugi could, he would have shut his eyes. He desperately wanted Yami to close them, bracing himself for a load of pain. Pain that, thankfully, never came. Through Yami's eyes he could see that Hirutani's fist had caught onto a low tree branch. Mental mouth agape, Yugi could only watch.

"What the...?!" the older male shook his fist, attempting to free it from the branches. With a roar, he just rose another fist, aiming for Yami's stomach. Extraordinarily, Hirutani was foiled once more. His arm was caught in another branch. He flailed hard, but the thick wood would not budge.

Yami chuckled, stepping back a little to avoid being hit by those thick legs.

"Hey! What the hell is going on?!" Hirutani roared once again.

"It seems you've angered the tree," Yami said simply.

"Smart ass!" The bully barked, face turning red from fury. The more he tried to free himself, the higher he was raised off the ground. Soon, he was levitated by at least four feet. "I don't know what the fuck you did, but when I get down you're gonna fucking get it! I'll kill you this time!"

"Such harsh words," Yami scowled then. He pressed his hand hard onto the bark. More branches seemed to sprout then, this time without those pretty flower buds and leaves. They weild pointed; pointed ends that looked lethal. It slowly raised, the sharp end poised at Hirutani's chest, directly over his heart.

The sight of that was what made Yugi snap from his transfixed state. _Yami, wait!_

**_Hm? _**Yami finally answered. His crimson eyes were still locked onto the sharp branch, as if one blink of his eyes would command the tree to do what he intended. A dark deed that Yugi realized, thankfully, long before it was much too late.

_Don't hurt him. _Yugi said, voice shaky, almost surprising himself.

_**... He's threatening to kill you. **_Yami said slowly, his scowl deepening. **_I promised to protect you._**

_Yes, but I didn't think that you would like this._ Yugi said, frantic now. As touched as he was by Yami's words, this was just too much. _I know he's really... mean, and he hurt me a lot in the past, but this isn't how I wanted that problem solved!_

Yami was silent now, still watching the struggling Hirutani. It appeared the older male hadn't noticed the sharp branch, and was much too busy trying to get out of the grip of the tree. It seemed like a long while, and Yugi feared that Yami would ignore his plea.

_You can do anything else. Just please... _please _don't hurt him._ Yugi was almost begging now.

Yami openly sighed then. He shook his head. "You're so strange, Yugi..." he murmured allowed. "But I will do as you say." He turned back to the tree. With his fingers, he traced something there, the pad of his index leaving behind a trail of burn. It formed a simple pentacle. Below was a writing Yugi couldn't read. Looking back towards Hirutani, the sharp branch had receded back to wherever it came from. The branches that held the bully's wrist, however, only raised him higher.

Hirutani continued to swear something awful as Yami pat the tree, turned on his heel, and proceeded to walk away.

"Where the hell are you going?! Get back here! Fuckin' tree--!"

Yami merely placed his hands in his pockets, looking contemplative. A frown was still present on his face. As for Yugi, he felt relief wash over his inner being, yet he was still a little nervous. With a bit of hesitation, he decided to speak.

_Thank you, Yami..._ Yugi said. _For doing that... er..._

_**You're welcome, little one.**_ Yami quietly responded. However, he didn't seem to happy.

_Um..._ Yugi began, mentally swallowing. _The tree isn't going to do something too awful, right?_

_**No, it will not. I have done as you said. It will only hold him there.**  
_

_Oh... okay, good. _Yugi let out a sigh, yet still felt so very tense. _You... you weren't honestly going to kill him back there, were you?  
_

_**Ah...**_ The wizard said, walking back into the school halls. Free period would be ending soon. **_He threatened your life, did he not?_**

_He did, _Yugi started, fearing Yami's answer.

_**Assuring your safety was my instinct. **_He said, brow creasing. **_Why you stopped me is probably what puzzles me the most._**

_Why I stopped you? _Yugi's eyes would have widened. _O-oh... so that means... you'll do that to _everyone _who threatens to kill me? Respond with that same intention?  
_

_**Yes.**_

That was something that unsettled Yugi greatly. Especially since Yami said it without a moment of hesitation. The notion itself was sweet, in a strange sense, yet still unnerving. More so since Yugi had saw the extent of Yami's abilities. That magic wasn't only amazing, it was _frightening. _Now Yami himself Yugi had seen in a new light entirely. As wise and knowledgable as Yami was, he was just as fierce and... vengeful?

_Hold on,_ Yugi said, suddenly remembering something from nights ago. _Didn't you say that magic should never be used for revenge?_

_**That I did. **_Yami said, pausing in his stride.

_Wouldn't you 'responding' like that be breaking that rule? _Yugi was growing nervous again.

_**This is entirely different. **_Yami said, face tightening. **_I promised to protect you._**

_I know, _Yugi would have bit his lip at this point, his nerves almsot getting the better of him. _But you extracting vengeance on people who threaten me bodily harm isn't much different than taking revenge. ?I mean... Think about it, you know I'm right..._

The wizard was silent for a moment, most likely mulling over what Yugi just said. He clucked his tongue, then suddenly chuckled. That sound put Yugi's mind at slight ease. _**… you really have been listening, haven't you?**_

_I have. I really want to learn..._ Yugi said earnestly. _But if what you tell me is completely contradictory to what you do, then I don't want to anymore._

**_You're a wise boy, _**Yami said, smiling then. **_It takes courage to tell your teacher when he is wrong. I'm proud of you.  
_**

Yugi practically beamed then, and was far more relieved upon hearing that. He felt so much more at ease now, and almost bouncy. _So you'll think from now on? Before you act?_

_**Of course I will. **_Yami said. **_I can't afford to make another mistake... what kind of mentor would I be?_**

Yugi started to laugh a little bit then, now happy once more. As they continued down the hall, Yugi found himself giggling to himself occassionally, in which the wizard brought to question.

_**What's so funny?**_

_Oh, _Yugi couldn't stop mentally grinning. _What you did back there. With the tree. That's going to sit with me _forever.

_**Ah... but I shouldn't take the credit for that.**_

_Huh? _Yugi would have blinked then. _You didn't do that?_

_**No, I did not.**_ Yami chuckled again. **_It was the tree's doing._**

_The _tree_?_

_**But of course.**_

_Then.. what was that with the symbols? And how did the tree do that?_ More questions were now swimming within Yugi's mind.

_**Magic doesn't sit with just the animate, Yugi. **_The wizard said. **_It lies with everything. The tree told me of what it saw as it lived there out on the grounds. It saw what that horrible boy does to you, and was conveyed to me through its memories... so, with my guidance, it too tried to protect you._**

Fascinated, Yugi allowed the information to sink in. He remembered the many times he had been picked on, and recalled that many ocassions were in the presence of that particular tree. Yugi made a mental note to thank that particular Sakura. What he wondered about the most was asked without a moment more of hesitation; _Trees can _see? _And _think_?_

Yami laughed softly. _**All of nature can, little one. They speak as well. All you have to do is listen.**_

_Even rocks?_

_**Yes. Even rocks.**_

_That's just too cool..._ Yugi was growing excited once again. _Can you teach me to talk to trees?_

_**I promised to teach you everything I know, did I not?**_

_You did Yami... _Yugi could feel the wizard smiling. _And I'm really looking forward to all of it._

–

Well, this chapter is not only late... its _shit. _:c

And look at this? I HIT 10 PAGES. IN YOUR FACE OPRAH.

So, Yugi got a little revenge on a nasty bully and realized the ugly side of magic. BUT WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN NEXT?

Thanks for reading. Leave a review? ;3

Xeora

PS: I did art and shit for this. Check it out on my DA. Click muh name, go to profile, click webpage. Not that big a deal, just thought I'd share. Also, direct image links on my prof. o3o

**Notes: Who agrees that this repost is much better? Better details, more important information, a better understanding... gah, I am proud of myself. Enjoy it. Chapter 8 in the works. :3**


	8. Chapter 8

Wizard

by Xeora

**NOTICE TO THE EXTREME: I let this fester for five days. With all my typos, bad grammar and poor word choice. I should suicide, but I won't. :c Instead, Im posting this huge fix. Moar meatz and length. Omnomnom.**

Ah hell. I decided to say "fuck it" about rewriting. I'll edit what I have. Im lowering my self standards a bit and realized this isn't that bad. Surely, there are those that have written FAR WORSE than I have. Like... FAR worse. I mean, it's not like Im the author of Twilight (ooooh, burn. DIE STEPHANIE MEYER. UGH. ) Also, the "components" that I've lain out seem to be right in what I want to do with this fic... which I will finish, even if it kills me.

Thanks for your patience. Im editing as a I go along. Some typos in a few chapters that need fixing still, but I'll work those kinks out eventually. (;

–

Eight

Not once in his short time in high school could Yugi describe a perfect school day. He hadn't been shoved, tripped, or harmed in any way; which was a refreshing change of pace. For this, Yugi was very glad. On top of it all, he didn't have to deal with much of his school work, and he had the company and protection of a wizard. Not many people could say they had that. In fact, no one in the _world_ could say something as such. The thought of that alone made Yugi feel special, and from his core radiated happiness, like as though he were sitting near a warm fireplace. He vaguely wondered if Yami could feel that warmth as well.

_Today was wonderful._ Yugi commented, feeling as though he were smiling. It was as if nothing could bring him down.

School had ended, and it was growing late. The sun was seen barely peeking over the backdrop of the city's tall buildings, orange and gold rays of sunshine splashing over the different shades of gray, casting their atmosphere into twilight. Yami, still in control of Yugi's body, strode along the walkway, hands in his pockets. Although, he was walking slower than normal, his red eyes half lid as his focus shifted, as if he were staring into space. He shook his head a few times, brows creased. He didn't seem to hear what Yugi had said.

_Yami?_ Yugi voiced his concern. As he stared through those eyes, he could see that they were blurring. Yet he, himself, felt perfectly fine. Worry shot through him immediately. The end of his only perfect day might have been turning that pretty periwinkle sky a gloomy gray.

"I am all right..." Yami murmured out loud, stopping in his stride. He placed a hand to his head, clutching his blond bangs for a moment. "... it seems I am... not up to my full strength..."

_What do you mean? _Yugi asked, uncertain.

"I had been asleep for so long..." He stood up straight, the act in itself seeming almost painful. He blinked tiredly. "... my powers aren't up to par... I must have overexerted myself."

Upon hearing that, Yugi suddenly felt a tidal wave of guilt. He had just let Yami walk through the day using magic, even after he got offers to take his body back. Perhaps that was the hint? Yami wanted to give it back, and Yugi just said no, and now he wasted all his energy. It was as if Yugi turned the tap on the tankard himself, letting everything wastefully drain.

_Im sorry, Yami._ Yugi said. _I-it's my fault. I should have taken my body back... and Hirutani, if he didn't... if I didn't... _But just what could he have done? He really was not sure what he could have said to justify that this was very much his fault. He wanted to take the blame, but Yami just wouldn't let him.

The wizard just chuckled weakly, and said, "This isn't your fault little one... its mine."

_But I..._ He tried nonetheless, but Yami just shook his head.

"I should have known better than to think that after so long, I could do something so strenuous on my energies." He sighed.

Yugi mentally bit his lip, wanting to say something else, but nothing would come to mind. There was nothing he could say, or do.

"Forgive me... any lessons I had planned for tonight will have to be put on hold." Yami went on to say.

_Im so sorry... _Yugi apologized again, forlorn.

"Don't be..." Yami said, smiling softly. He didn't seem to have the strength to even speak through their mental link. Did that require magical energy as well? Yugi assumed so, since Yami hadn't even attempted to whisper in his mental ear. "There's nothing to apologize for. Yet I... I must rest, and bid you an early evening, little one..."

_I understand. _Yugi conveyed, voice sounding shaky and uncertain. Yami said he didn't blame him, but still. He wanted to do something, or say something, to make up for it all. _Rest as much as you like, you deserve it._

"Thank you..." The wizard let out a shallow breath, closing his eyes as if to sleep. Resting his hands on either side of the puzzle, the Eye of Horus glinted. They had shifted control. Once more, Yugi felt as if he hadn't gone anywhere. The boy stood there for some time, slowly opening his eyes. His sight was clear. For some reason, he was very sure he would take back his body feeling as though he were waking up. But tiredness, nor cloudy first sights eluded him. He was almost sure they hadn't switched at all. To make sure it worked, Yugi blinked his large obsidian eyes, then looked down at his hands, turning them over slowly. Experimentally, he flexed his fingers. Carefully, he looked around, checking his surroundings. He noticed that the plaque at the school entrance was back at the normal height he had grown used to. If anything and honestly, Yugi felt as if he had just climbed down from a stepping stool.

"I really am short." He muttered, almost disdainfully. He took the puzzle in his hands, turning it over to look into the Eye. The warm object even _looked_ peaceful. Once more, the guilt seemed to bubble in his chest. Yami must have been exhausted. Biting the tip of his tongue, Yugi stared at it for a while, racking his brain for something to say.

_Yami... I... um... _But there was no answer. He had almost hoped for a "Hm?" or any confirming noise that Yami was listening. Or even a light snore. This "resting" must have been deep. Yugi didn't want to be rude and further disturb the puzzle's resident. He placed it back down carefully, as if Yami were a baby cradled inside of it, and the slightest unsteady movement would awaken him.

"Well... good night." Yugi whispered aloud. He placed his hands on the shoulder straps of his backpack, gripping them lightly. He did his best to clear his mind of anything negative. He was sure Yami meant what he had said, and that Yugi was not to be blamed. Well, almost sure. There was some doubt, and that's what bothered him the most. As Yugi started on his walk down the sidewalk, he tried to think about something else. As nothing would come to mind, he decided to just observe the city streets of Domino, which were not as crowded or rushed. It usually never was during the sunset. Yugi passed by one or two people, walking around them, or they walking around him. He seemed to be on auto, letting his legs go down the path he was so used to walking. A car or two sped past, both black. There was even a snow white limo, which caused Yugi to pause. He stared after it, spotting a "KC" logo on the license plate. He almost forced himself to think about what company that it could have possibly belonged to, yet his thoughts wandered elsewhere. They were back on Yami, and of course, back on how bad Yugi still felt about the entire ordeal. It had been a while since Yugi thought he messed up something so horribly. Or maybe, he was just thinking a little too much on it. Sadly, his chaotic thoughts also affected his ability to walk. He had scuffed his sneakers twice, and twice, he was close to smashing his nose on the pavement.

"It figures the only time I'd start tripping over myself is if _I'm_ in control." Yugi groaned, making himself stand straight. He looked up at the sky, feeling frustrated with himself now. Soon, that frustration faded into sadness. Coupled with that, came the loneliness. He felt almost empty at not being able to hear Yami's voice, which then made him feel very selfish. Yugi knew that Yami was tired. Like anyone else, they needed rest. It was childish to want the wizard to skip that entirely just to speak to him. He wanted to hear that deep voice, and that peaceful laugh...

Hot in the cheeks, Yugi shook his head vigorously. "Stop that, _stop that_." He scolded himself sternly, shame now beginning to fester. "You shouldn't be so... so... _envious_..." He had convinced himself that's what it was. An envy growing to the point that it was an almost shameless jealousy. Yami was everything he wanted to be, and more. Thinking the way he did, Yugi was convinced he would just further depress himself.

Puffing out his flushed cheeks like a frustrated hamster, he crossed his arms. "_I_ have a peaceful laugh." Yugi said, trying to convince himself. "And _I'll_ get a deeper voice... soon. I... I think." But even saying so almost unwaveringly didn't seem very convincing at all. He rubbed his cheeks, willing the blush to go down. He was starting to embarrass himself now, but the more he tried to empty his thoughts, they seemed to come back at a greater force.

"Lets just... think about something else..." Yugi bit the inside of his cheek. In the process of doing just that, he had nearly walked into a rusty iron bike rack, rattling the loose chains on a beat up old bicycle, which seemed to be just as rusty as the rack. It had a beat up lopsided wicker basket barely hanging off the handle bars. Yugi blinked at it, feeling as if he had seen it somewhere before. He looked it over as he walked around it, once more finding himself stumbling over his own sneakers. Almost yelping, Yugi caught himself on the torn up bike seat, making that and the old bars rattle even louder. Embarrassed, he hunched over the seat. Carefully pushing himself back up, Yugi just hoped no one saw that. He frowned heavily. "I really, _really_ have to stop doing that..." Taking a deep breath, Yugi carefully placed one foot in front of the other. Once he felt confident, he looked up, immediately stopping in his tracks. Just down the sidewalk, something large was standing at the corner street where he was supposed to turn. That "something large" turned out to be a person. A very tall, very wide person. The hard look on his face and the unsettling aura was what caused Yugi to stop and stare.

Staring was his first mistake. The man turned to look at him, a nasty little grin splitting his lips. Yugi's throat suddenly felt dry. He swallowed.

_Not good_, was the immediate thought flitting across Yugi's mind. He stepped back nervously, quickly turning on his heel. He started to walk in the opposite direction. He tried not to move too quickly, or too slowly. Any signs of nervousness seemed to set off the wrong kind of people. _Besides... there are many other ways to get back home..._ Yugi thought. It had been a long time since he took the long way to Kame Games from school. Mind almost flitting off into thoughts about possibly needing more exercise, he found himself almost skidding to a stop. A tall, ominous shadow was looming over him. This shadow belonged to another menacing individual, who was smiling deviously. Yugi spotted several gold teeth, but didn't stare long enough to count them. Feeling trapped, the boy looked across the street to his right, hoping for an opening.

Sadly, that base seemed to be covered as well. Another tall, lanky young man with a ski cap atop his narrow head stood a little ways away, leaning against the lamp post. He too was looking at Yugi, an almost demonic glint in his dark eyes, eyes which gave Yugi the feeling he were staring into the face of hellfire. Fear overtook him almost immediately, but thankfully not enough to paralyze him entirely. He managed to turn his head in several different directions, racking his brain for an escape route. Front, back and right side, he was blocked. They were moving in on him, walking in what Yugi thought was an agonizingly slow advance. On his left, Yugi's found his only solution, which was the dark alley way. The sight of that made the bottom of his stomach drop. However, he didn't have much of a choice. It was either to the lions, or into the dark abyss.

The abyss seemed less painless. _Much less_ painless.

Making his decision, Yugi took in a sharp breath and turned towards the alley way. He practically bolted for it, only to be devastated to find that this alley way was short, hitting the wall almost immediately as he took to running. Swallowing heavily, his old fears were suddenly returning in waves, taking over his mind and washing away everything else. _Don't... panic... don't..._ Yugi had to think. If he didn't, he was surely doomed, but either way, he felt as though no matter what he couldn't get away. Unless...

_Yami..._ Yugi felt along the wall, pushing his hands into what he was sure was brick. _Yami, wake up. Please, Im calling to you, wake up...!_ But he was answered with only silence. He brought a hand to his puzzle, gripping the cord. _Yami!_

Nothing answered to his desperate calls. The pleas seemed to be no use. The wizard was most likely much too deep in rest to hear him. Inwardly groaning in despair at the futility, Yugi turned around, pressing his back against the wall. He found himself trapped. He stuck between a solid brick barrier, and approaching him were three of the ugliest thugs he had seen yet. Shutting his eyes tight for a moment, Yugi hoped and prayed that these guys were just his imagination getting away with him _somehow_. Not wanting to, but desperately needing to, he reopened them to look. Heart racing, fear continued to rise as they advanced, closer and closer. Despite how pretty the sunset's orange rays colored the light at the mouth of the alley, it just looked like hellfire on the backdrop of these men.

"Well, lookie here fellas," the largest of the three began, his voice sounding almost comically high. "We got ourselves a little mouse."

If Yugi weren't so stricken with the worst of feelings, he probably would have laughed. Instead, he further swallowed. His dry throat was almost to the point of being painful. Yet, he attempted to smile anyway. "O..oh... hey... um..." He squeaked, making them laugh.

"Some kinda mouse," the skinny one said. "Squeaks like one. Tiny like one. Say kid, where's your mother, huh?"

"L-listen.." Yugi choked out, hoping he could reason with them, or talk his way out of getting hurt. "I-I don't want... any trouble.."

"Trouble? Who says we're here to cause trouble?" the one with gold teeth grinned wickedly.

_Well_, Yugi was very certain these guys weren't trying to sell him something. He tried to push himself further against the wall, hoping he would just sink through it. But it felt _so very_ solid. They were laughing again, and those laughs were starting to sound like death tolls. Once more, his mind was racing. He had to find a way out somehow. Maybe if he dived into the dumpster? No... they would just dive after him. Trying to weave around the trash bins looked useless as well, as there wasn't enough room for Yugi to get passed quick enough, and the fire escape was out of reach. He was at a detriment.

"Hey, check this out." The skinny one leaned forward suddenly, making Yugi's breath hitch painfully. The thug didn't take much notice to his skittishness, as he was eying the Millennium Puzzle. "This kid's got some kinda jewelry."

"Jewelry huh?" the biggest of the three walked forward, snatching Yugi by the cord of his puzzle. He gasped, nearly choking from how tightly the cord was held in that thick fist. "What's a kid like you doing with an expensive thing like this?"

Yugi couldn't quite speak, his mouth was open, but nothing would come out. The man just smirked.

"Probably stole it, didn't you?" He said, yanking it over Yugi's head. The boy fell forward, almost landing on his face. "We'll just be confiscating this from you."

"Wait, no!" Yugi found his voice again, panic pushing his words forward. He scrambled to his feet, reaching for the item. "Give that back! Please, I-I- I didn't steal it-- it's--!"

"Aw shut up, brat." One of the men knocked him back down. Yugi stared up at him in horror. "You shouldn't talk back to your elders. Haven't your parents taught you any manners?" They bore down over him, as if expecting him to answer. Recieving no answer, a heavy boot was suddenly slammed down onto his knee. White hot pain immediately shot through his leg as a scream ripped from his throat. That boot was pushing hard down onto his leg. Pressure seemed to be building. Yugi felt his muscles straining in ways he didn't think they could.

"Still being defiant, huh?" Yugi wasn't sure who was talking at this point. He clutched his thigh, hunched over. There was now a ringing in his ears, a ringing so loud it almost drowned out all sound. Yet, he could still hear those terrible words. "_How about we teach this punk bitch a lesson?"_

Pain erupted on every bit of his small frame. He wasn't sure which part of him had received the most punches or kicks. He wasn't sure if the stomp on his knee or harsh kick to the gut hurt more than the other. Heavy blows were landed to his face, his stomach, chest and back. The hardest hit graced the back of his neck. Yugi was sure that if they hit him there harder, his neck would have snapped. It seemed like forever before it all ended, and Yugi was left a crumpled heap on the floor. He could taste copper in his mouth. It was more than likely to be blood. Whimpering softly, he looked up. His attackers were blurred. But the anguish, nor the questions of "why me" was not what plagued his mind.

"Y...Ya...mi..." Yugi coughed. The ringing was loud in his ears now. Another kick was brought to his side, causing him to yelp. But all he could focus on was that golden blur clutched in the hand of that brute. Just what could he do? What were they doing to do with his puzzle? What will happen to Yami? In vain, he tried to call out to him again. There was no response.

"Hear that boys?" One of them crowed. "He's already calling for his 'mommy'!" Another harsh kick. Head spinning, and vision fading, Yugi couldn't hold out much longer.

_Yami..._ He attempted to whisper through their mental connection. _Yami... I'm... sorry..._

It wasn't long, as the cliché goes, before he fell into total darkness.

However, total darkness was short lived. Blackness was starting to fade away, but the incredible pain had remained. At first Yugi couldn't for the life of him grasp what had happened. He felt as if he were hit by a car. He felt as though his entire body were rattled, and nothing would stay still. He feared opening his eyes, as dizziness would have surely taken over. He hoped if he stilled his breath, and kept out the light, it would eventually pass. But soon, he found himself shaking. Or rather, someone else was shaking his shoulder. His brows furrowed. He could hear something. The ringing in his ear had ceased, and now there was a voice calling to him. At first, it wasn't clear. It was an up and down of base and tone, mixed with static, like an old knob radio.

"Hey... hey kid," There was the first clear ring. Yugi thought it may have been his grandfather. But that was only his mind's hope. Sugoroku didn't have a voice this young, and nor would he call Yugi "kid".

"Oi, I know you're coming to," that voice again. A hand gently pat Yugi's cheek. "Come on, wake up."

Yugi's eyes fluttered open then. The setting sun's orange splash met his eyes, but it was blurred. Slowly, his vision came into focus. He blinked his large eyes, unsure of what he was seeing. It took a moment for him to realize that someone was leaning an almost inch from his face. Yugi jumped, hitting his head against something hard. He whined, reaching behind him to clutch at his hair.

"Hey, you're awake." That voice said, sounding relieved. Yugi looked up into worried honey colored eyes, almost completely covered in messy blond bangs. He looked familiar, but Yugi wasn't quite sure of where he had seen him. From school, maybe...? "Aw man... they roughed you up pretty good, didn't they?" The question wasn't in awe, but in uncertainty. "I heard Ojiro and his idiots pummeling _someone_, but I didn't think it would be a little kid..."

"W-wait..." Yugi looked at him, trying to sort out his chaotic thoughts. 'Pummeled'? He had gotten beaten up, by some guy named 'Ojiro'? "I.. what happened...?"

"Street punks is what happened to you," The blond said, his lips set in a frown. He stood up, taking Yugi by the elbow, hoisting the boy to his feet. Dizziness swept over him, and Yugi was certain he would fall on his face. The blond young man let him lean against his side, which Yugi did heavily. "I know them, unfortunately... I used to go to school with them. They mugged you."

"M-mugged..?" 'Mugged' meant 'robbed'. Which meant they probably stole something. Yugi could still feel his bag on his back, but there was a missing weight around his neck. It took a moment for him to think of what that could have meant.

They stole something.

Stole.

Something.

Something in his battered head clicked then. Yugi's already wide eyes widened even further, and he grabbed at his neck. The cord was gone. His puzzle. Yugi's puzzle. The Millennium Puzzle. It was gone.

"Yami!" Yugi exclaimed, body lurching away from the blond teenager who was attempting to help him stand and walk out of the alleyway. His shoulder hit the wall of the building that stood nearest. He looked around frantically, hoping that the object was nearby.

"What?" The blond said, surprised. He blinked at Yugi, watching him try to limp forward

"My puzzle... my... my necklace..." Yugi panted. He attempted to keep moving. A hand was placed on his shoulder, making him stop. That blond teen was giving him a hard look, but worry was in his honey eyes. Yugi swallowed, then tried to calm down enough to explain properly. "They took it." He went on to say. "I-it's important to me.. I have to get it back..."

"A necklace?" The blond said in slight disbelief. "You're beaten to an inch of your breath, and you're worried some jewelry?"

"It's not just jewelry," Yugi said, the worry and panic leaking into his tone of voice. "I... it's a lot more than that."

For a moment, the blond watched as Yugi struggled along the wall. The young teen was determined, feeling his way around the corner. For a moment, Yugi's sore legs felt as if they would collapse beneath him. But someone caught him around the shoulders. He turned his head to look at the blond, who was still frowning at him heavily.

"You need to get help." He said firmly.

Yugi only shook his head. "I... I can get help later... I have to... find Yami..." Once more, found himself trying to call out to the wizard through their mental connection. But it felt as if his voice had been blocked off, and that his mind were only crying out to nothing. His heart sank. He was starting to fear the worst.

"Listen, think _rationally._" The blond went on. "You can't just wander off after them. _Do you even know where they went_?"

Yugi's shoulders slumped. Did he know? Of course not. He was intent on moving _somewhere_, to cover ground in a direction that they probably didn't take at all. Hell, they could have flown off into space for all he knew. But, if anything, he had to find it. He had to find Yami. There was nothing on his mind more important. Something in him would surely die if he didn't see him, or hear him again.

There was an almost deathly silence between them. If Yugi were to look up, he would have saw the strange look on the blond's face. Was it concern? Frustration? Both?

"I don't know..." Yugi said finally. "But I... I have to think... 'rationally', don't I?"

"Yea..." The blond said, "... yea you do." He helped Yugi stand up straight. The boy grit his teeth, forcing himself to stand properly. His knees did hurt, especially his right one. He placed a hand on the wall to keep himself upright. He stared out onto the street. The sun was setting lower and lower, turning the sky almost purple. It must have been an hour since it was taken. Those thugs must have gone anywhere at this point. Just what could he do? Yugi had to think. His brain was pounding, but he forced the gears and cogs to turn. He couldn't abandon Yami. He couldn't just leave him in the hands of those monsters. He didn't want to think of what they would do to him, or could do to him. He had to find it. His puzzle, that object. It _had _to be found.

It _must_ be found.

Must.

Find.

"That's _it_." Yugi breathed, feeling as if he reached enlightenment. "The locator spell..."

"The _what_ now?" The blond young man questioned, both brows raised. Yugi jumped, turning his head to look. He had nearly forgotten that the tall teen was still there. Yugi could only smile weakly. He turned his head to look back towards the streets.

Now, however, he needed to concentrate. He had to apply everything Yami had been attempting to teach him. This time, he _had_ to master that spell. Closing his eyes, he furrowed his brows as he cleared his mind of all other thoughts; of worries, of pain, of _everything_. He had to remember the details of his precious puzzle. The gold sheen, the smooth surface; the gleaming Eye of Horus. He had to remember its warm touch, its comforting aura. Of course, he had to focus on Yami. Yami's tall form, his exotic features. His red eyes, which lit up with pride whenever Yugi accomplished something, or asked an intelligent question. His welcoming presence, his deep voice, his laugh...

Yugi's eyes snapped open then, but he was no longer looking out towards the street. He was now staring through dream fog, from the perspective of a bird as it flew high over the city of Domino. Over the calming evening streets, to the low ghettos, and over the shipyard. As the dock, ships and storage houses became overcast in evening shadow, the "bird" began to land, seeming to hover over the many abandoned warehouses. The lower it got, the more the buildings came into focus. The fog was starting to fade. Yugi could see them now. His attackers. The three menacing young men stood at the broken entrance to the eighth warehouse. In the hand of the largest and meanest of the three, was his precious Millennium Puzzle.

It wasn't just his puzzle he could see clearly. Strange symbols hung over the head of the man clutching the cord. Slowly those symbols merged, and they started to form into something remotely legible.

_O... Ji... Ro..._

Feeling as though he had been doused in icy cold water, Yugi seemed to snap from his reverie. It appears the blond male had been shaking his shoulder again. He turned his head to look at the blond, who seemed pale. It was as if he had seen a ghost.

"Kid, you gotta stop zoning out like that." He said, sounding almost shaky. "We need to get you to the hospital-"

"I know where it is!" Yugi exclaimed then, surprising the other teen. "My puzzle-- my necklace. I know where they took it. I... I have to go there. I need to get it back."

For a long moment, the taller male could only stare at him. He seemed to swallow, then began to say "... listen, I get that you're determined..."

"I know I sound strange..." Yugi clenched his fist, looking up at the blond with determination. "But... I know where it is. I know where they are. They're at the warehouses near the shipyard. They have my puzzle--... You... you don't have to believe me... but its true. I _swear _it."

"You're more stubborn than I am," he said then, running a hand through his blond locks. He shook his head. He placed both hands on his hips, looming over Yugi, glaring down at him. "But you're not thinking of running after them by yourself, are you?"

Yugi blinked then, suddenly losing his confidence. "Well.. um..."

"Well, I wouldn't let you." The blond grit out. "I told you, I know that Ojiro. He's _nasty_. He'll be a bitch and a half to deal with by yourself. If anything, Im going with you. Now don't try to talk me out of it." He wagged a finger in Yugi's face then, causing the boy to blink. "If you're gonna try and get there, it'll take you a while on foot. Especially in your condition." He suddenly walked briskly past Yugi. The boy's wide eyes followed him.

The blond teen walked up to the rusty bike rack. He pulled out that beat up old bike. He tossed off the old wicker basket, muttering something about needing a new bike. Or a car. He looked over at Yugi. "Can you balance on handlebars?"

After a moment, Yugi nodded dumbly. He was still a little surprised by this taller teen's sudden willingness to help him.

"Good." He moved the old machine forward, then grabbed Yugi by the collar. He helped him up, then quickly mounted the old bike. He pushed on the pedals to start their movement. It took a moment for Yugi to actually establish a real balance, but did manage nonetheless. As they sped down the sidewalk, Yugi finally managed to get his mouth to work again.

"I... I never got your name." He said, clutching the handlebars.

"Jonouchi Katsuya." The blond said, standing up on the pedals so he could see over Yugi's hair. "Just call me Jou. Yours?"

"Yugi... Yugi Mouto-- ack!" Yugi clutched the bars tighter when they hit a bump in the sidewalk.

Jou nodded then. "I really hope you know what you're getting into."

"I... I know..." Yugi said. "And I have to... I can't leave him behind..."

"Him? You talk like this necklace of yours is a person." But Jou didn't press on it, and couldn't, since Yugi didn't answer.

The boy was back in his own thoughts. Thoughts back onto determination, and drive to find what he cherished most.

He had to find his Millennium Puzzle.

He had to find Yami, even if it meant risking everything.

–

Needs editing. I know. But, its an update. This calls for cookies. C:

Jou's here, and that spell was actually useful. Sweet. Will Yugi save his puzzle? Will I update again sooner?

Who knows?

Review plz

Xeora

**EDIT: OMG. IT FIXED IT. IT TOOK LIKE SIX HOURS BUT I FIXED IT. ASDF AMG. THIS LOOKS AND FEELS SO MUCH BETTER. JESUS. Enjoy the fix ya'll.**


	9. Chapter 9

Wizard

by Xeora

**Edit: No matter how careful I try to be, I still fail at life and everything. I think once its all written, I'm going to sleep on it then start editing, instead of posting shame. Ahgawd... ze shame... Enjoy the fix.  
**

AMG. THE NEXT PART. WHO'S EXCITED? ... Or something... like... asdf. Omg. I did some major fixes for chapter 8, and hopefully I don't have to go back and fix 9 majorly. Editing for everything else is still underway.

My warnings are violence and my attempt at good grammar. O gawd. ;c

–

Nine

The old shipyard smelled of salt water and fish decay. The fish decay being from the open market scraps that were left earlier in the mornings for seagulls to pick at and consume. Unfortunately these scavengers weren't as thorough as the dock workers liked to pretend. Many bones, tails and heads from the fish carcass were left behind, leaving an almost overpowering rotting fish and ocean scent. It was something that one would surely notice first when entering the dock areas. It was almost completely dark by the time Yugi, and his companion of sorts, Jounouchi Katsuya, rode in on that old beat up bike, taking in the harsh atmosphere. The only sources of light were a few lamps, which flickered on and off, or blinked as if they were running out of power.

To Yugi, it all looked and felt ominous. He found himself swallowing, and his skin almost crawling at being in such a place at night. Albeit he had been here before at least once or twice in his life, during the daily fish market when his grandfather wanted to get a fresh catch. In the daylight it didn't look so foreboding. An old dock wasn't something he had considered to be frightening. This, however, had changed his mind quite a bit.

Completely oblivious to Yugi's thoughts, Jou most likely didn't think it was a place to be feared at all.

"This place smells like shit," Jou said disdainfully, wrinkling his nose. He sat back on the bike seat almost nonchalantly, letting his sneakers touch down on the cracked cement ground. Something crunched beneath his foot. Looking down, they could see it was a rotting fish head. "Gross..."

Once the bike slowed to a complete stop, Yugi carefully got off from the handlebars, wincing as he landed on his severely abused knee. A squeak almost escaped his lips. He had to stay still for a moment, and wait for the pain to ease away on its own.

"You okay?" Jou asked then, leaning over the handlebars.

The boy nodded slowly, and forced himself to stand properly. He gave Jou a weak half-grin. "Yea... Im fine." He turned his head to scan out their surroundings, and at first glance was almost convinced they were in the wrong place. Darkness made a huge difference to what he had initially seen, but he was certain they were heading in the right direction.

"The warehouses are just ahead." He said softly.

"I know," Jou was still watching Yugi, a frown on his face. He dismounted, then walked the bike forward so he stood beside the tiny teen. "Used to come here a lot."

"Oh. I see..." Yugi gave him a sideways look, blinking when he thought he saw an unusual expression on the taller male. That expression was masked almost immediately with one of uncertainty.

"Now... the real question is, are they still here?" Jou said, placing his bike against some piled wooden crates. He would leave it there for now, Yugi guessed, and go back for it later.

"They are," Yugi said, rubbing his sore forearms. They had grown a little stiff from keeping himself up on those rusting handlebars. "I... I feel it." He shivered a little. The temperature had dropped by several degrees, especially so around the cold ocean waters. The docks weren't exactly the warmest places to be, but Yugi tried not to think about his discomforts or the ache still plaguing his small frame. If anything, he had to keep moving forwad, and he had to retrieve his puzzle. He had to get back Yami. He feared what may happen if the wizard suddenly woke up, only to find that Yugi wasn't there. What would go through Yami's mind? Would he be angry? Worried? Worst of all, Yugi feared that Yami may have thought that he decided to simply throw him away, that Yugi would just ungratefully abandon him.

That thought alone filled Yugi with a little dread. He couldn't really imagine what Yami might do, but his young imagination ran amok, taking him away to a thousand different scenarios. He had seen Yami's fierceness before. He was almost _merciless_ with Hirutani. The wizard had been a blink away from ending the life of a bully. Albeit the sight of this fierce side was only a glimpse, but it still left room for many more possibilities. Shaking his head, Yugi tried not to let those thoughts get to him. He sighed, turning his head to look at his companion. Jou was looking at him again, an almost contemplative frown on his face. His brow was creasing, as if he were trying to pinpoint something.

Yugi looked back at him questioningly, tilting his head slightly. "What's wrong?" He decided to ask.

The blond blinked, that look washing away almost immediately as he was addressed. After a moment of silence, Jou just shook his head. "Nah. Never mind." He grinned a little lopsidedly then.

The smaller teen scratched his cheek. "Oh... okay. Well." Yugi looked around once more. "I suppose... um..." he didn't really know how to word himself. Yugi didn't want to sound foolish in saying that it was time for them to part, but it was. From here, he was sure he was alone in this task. Jou had given him a lift, but Yugi somehow doubted the blond would stay to help him further.

Much to his surprise, Jou was still grinning.

"This is the part where I go get your stuff back."

"... excuse me?" Yugi wasn't quite sure if he heard that right.

"Yep." Jou rubbed his nose.

"You mean... _I _as in... _you_?" The boywent on hesitantly.

Jou openly rolled his eyes, but he was still smiling somewhat. He reached out to pat Yugi's shoulder. "It's not like you can do much."

The smaller teen pouted then, feeling a little miffed. Yugi opened his mouth to defend himself, but was immediately cut off.

"Don't gimme that look." Jou went on to say. "You know I'm right. You're all beaten up! Not to mention that very obvious limp. They'll laugh themselves silly before _killing_ you."

Yugi winced at how bluntly he said that. He knew, however, that the blond was right. There was no way he could defend himself in this state. He could barely walk without wincing or taking in a sharp breath. It seemed almost impossible that he could take back his puzzle. And yet...

"But..." Yugi tried to protest nonetheless, mind racing to find an excuse for Jou not to do what he intended. "This... um... this isn't your responsibility..."

"_Well_," Jou crossed his arms, quirking a brow. "Seeing if you were all right wasn't my responsibility."

"Yes, but-"

"Helping you get here wasn't my responsibility."

"But that's _different_-"

"Listen, Yugi." Jou held up a hand, silencing Yugi's attempts to persuade him to think otherwise. "It's _not_ different. I'm going to help you. I'm gonna go in there, give Ojiro a good kick to the mouth, and come back with your necklace."

Aghast, Yugi's mouth hung open. This blond boy, no Jou, technically still a stranger wanted to help him. He wanted to go in there and actually _fight_ for him. For what reasons, Yugi just couldn't understand at all. They only knew each other for only about two or so many hours. It just didn't make any sense.

"But... _why_?" Yugi managed to say, feeling his heart beat almost painfully against his chest. Nothing about this seemed right at all.

Jou's lips curled into the strangest of smiles. He shook his head, blond bangs swaying over his honey eyes. "Just think of it... as an apology."

"... apology?" Yugi murmured, now confused. "But why would you apologize?"

"You don't remember?" Jou said. "Man," he ran a hand through his hair. "Really? That's a bit of a downer. Haha... but not to worry. Just wait here, okay?"

"But.. Jounouchi..." Yugi said carefully, still giving him a look of utter disbelief.

Jou just turned around on his heel, waving Yugi off over his shoulder. "If I'm not back in an hour, just take the bike and go."

"Jou, wait...!" Yugi held out a hand as if to stop him. Yet, he did not.

Hands shoved into his jean pockets, Jou kept walking forward. He didn't even look back, and Yugi could only stare after him. The smaller teen just didn't know what to think, nor could he come up with an explanation for as to really _why_ that young man wanted to do such a thing. He was putting himself in harm's way for Yugi. The concept itself left the boy feeling unsettled. The feeling was almost foreign. Honestly, just what was Jou trying to prove, with his hands in his pockets like some greaser running off to his final gang fight? It didn't seem right at all. It seemed downright outrageous! Not to mention _very_ stupid!

_I don't understand..._ Yugi thought, closing his eyes tightly. He felt something pricking at the corners of his eyes, something warm and wet. He sniffled. _I'm not worth that much trouble..._ Eyes narrowing, and biting his lip, Yugi knew he couldn't let this just happen. Jounouchi was going to get hurt, and it would be his fault.

"I already messed up pretty bad today..." He said quietly to the darkness. He wiped his eyes on the back of his sleeve, leaving a streak of moisture there. He blinked away the tears, trying to tame the sudden emotional burst in his chest. He looked towards the direction Jou had taken, his silhouette already gone. With the sun set entirely, a blanket of darkness overtook the sky. The stars could not be seen at all due to the lights of the city, and the smog of industrial pollution. Yet Yugi asked each and every one of them for strength.

"_Please_, let me make things right..."

With a deep breath, he took his first painful step forward.

--

The old warehouses were just beyond the third dock on the most northern part of the Domino City Shipyard. All lined up in four rows of eight, they once stood as the main units for storage for cargo. Each had huge iron double door entrances, once numbered numerically with bright white paint. The warehouses themselves were made of wood, which termites had attacked the moment maintenance had stopped. What the termites didn't eat was left to rot, taking on salt water damage when the ocean got just a little too rough. Sighting these old storage units, he couldn't stop the nostalgia from washing over him.

Jounouchi Katsuya remembered coming here often, back before he started high school. However, none of the memories concerning this area were particularly pleasant. The farther he walked down the cracked ground, the more vivid these memories had become. These images and voices he had hoped to suppress, and block entirely from his subconscious, returned at full force. Yet Jou wouldn't allow himself to get lost in the dark path of reminiscence. There was a reason why he was here, and surely it wasn't to submerge in something he attempted to convince himself didn't happen. He didn't like to think he was so awful once. He didn't like to think he was a terrible person, and further more he didn't have time to dwell on something that had once fueled his adolescent anger.

The reason why Jounouchi was here was for even the slightest bit of penance, and to for once have a clear conscience.

_Maybe that's why I'm doing this._ He thought as he passed by the fourth warehouse. The lamp on that one had fallen to the ground. Even shattered, the bulb miraculously sustained power. However, it blinked more often than the others.

Usually, Jou would not risk his neck for a complete stranger, but there were several factors involved to justify his actions. The first one was that he _hated _Ojiro. Ojiro was a person in his life he hoped to avoid for the rest of his existence. He was a link to a time he wished he hadn't experienced. As far as Jou was concerned, that fat ass more than deserved a good beating more than anyone he had known. The very thought of him made Jou scowl, and the suppressed rage within him shifted like a sleeping lion being poked by a stick, causing it to bare its teeth.

The second reason was for that kid, Yugi Mouto. That kid, who had fallen victim twice in the same day, and for that Jou couldn't help but _hate himself_ for it. Honestly, Jou wasn't the one looking when he nearly ran over him that morning, yet Jou's anger got the best of him and he scorned the small boy, who had looked at him like a cornered, frightened child. Jou _hated_ that look, it drove him absolutely nuts! It was that image that was burned in his mind the entire day he did his day jobs. He couldn't get it out of his head, because that was the look...

… _that I used to give my father..._ Jou paused in his stride, pinching the bridge of his nose. _Ugh... don't think about that now..._

He couldn't afford to think about that right now, but he knew, it was for that reason he had to help the poor kid. Jou feared that this may have been some kind of backwards, twisted karma for snapping at him that morning. He hurts the feelings of a small boy, and that small boy gets the stuffing nearly knocked out of him by people Jou used to consider his friends.

"If that doesn't make someone feel guilty, I don't know what does..." Jou shook his head. He put on a hard look, then took a very deep breath. He needed to concentrate. His self-proclaimed mission was to go in there, knock some brains around, and take back that necklace.

He couldn't let Yugi down, and that final and third reason alone is what kept him moving forward. As he came upon the eighth and final warehouse of this row, he took immediate notice of the firelight coming from the broken down entrance. Yugi had been right, Ojiro and his sidekicks were still inside, probably setting fire to old trash bins and drinking until their blood turned to piss.

Swallowing down the lump in his throat, Jou stepped over the rotten wood debris and garbage. With his unusual reasoning, he was going to justify them further with his actions.

Then, maybe he could start to forgive himself.

–

…

(ducks and waits) … o-o Yea, its short. But the next part will be better. And LONGER. I just don't feel that there's anything else I can add here. ANYWHO.

We just took a small peak into Jounouchi's character and his complexities. Which tie in with everything else. I promise. NOTHING IN HERE IS TOTALLY RANDOM.

Well, I updated. I'll probably detail this further later. And I may have the third part to this crap done tomorrow. C;

But what's to happen now? They made it to the warehouses, Yugi is still very much hurt, and Jounouchi has some irrational ways of thinking. Will Jou get Yugi's puzzle back? And will Yami wake up to teach those asswipes a lesson? Who knows. o3o

But hey, that just makes shit more interesting.

Review pls.

Xeora

**PS: If you didn't read the detailed chapter 8, you might want to. There's some stuff in here that pertains to the fix in the previous content.**


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